The Vergecast

First in this episode, a quick update on the TikTok ban (which didn't turn out to be much of a ban at all.) Then, Sportico's Jacob Feldman joins the show to talk about Venu, the much-hyped streaming service that planned to bring all sports into a single platform — and never even managed to launch. After that, The Verge's Kevin Nguyen tells us how to read more books this year, and how to turn all your aimless scrolling time into more productive reading time. Finally, we answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline about audio sources on your phone, and why you can't listen to a thousand things at once. Further reading: TikTok ban: all the news on the app’s shutdown and return in the US TikTok is back, but where are Marvel Snap, CapCut, and Lemon8? Trump touts his plan to save TikTok during his victory rally TikTok isn’t back in the App Store yet Bluesky and X launch new video feeds amid TikTok uncertainties The new ‘Hulu for Sports’ streaming service has a name: Venu Sports Venu Sports shuts down before it ever launches From Sportico: YouTube TV vs. Fubo Sports Bundle Could Be Next Streaming Fight The Boox Palma is an amazing gadget I didn’t even know I wanted From GQ: How to Read a Whole Damn Book Every Week Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Pierce and Richard Lawler are joined by The Verge's Ash Parrish and Andrew Webster to talk about the Nintendo Switch 2 launch — all the things we know, and all the things we don't. (There's a lot of both.) Then The Verge's Adi Robertson joins to talk about the latest machinations in the potential TikTok ban, plus a Supreme Court hearing about adult content that might just be about the future of the internet. Finally, in the lightning round, David and Richard talk about Patrick Spence leaving Sonos, the Blue Origin launch, Drake's latest beef with Kendrick Lamar, and more. Further reading: Nintendo Switch 2 announcement: all the news on the next console The Nintendo Switch 2 has officially been announced Everything we know about the Switch 2’s Joy-Con controllers You’ll be able to try out the Switch 2 starting in April Nintendo announces Switch 2 Direct for April The Nintendo Switch 2 supports original Switch cartridges Nintendo teases a new Mario Kart for the Switch 2 The Switch 2 is boring — and that’s exactly what Nintendo needs The Switch 2’s bigger screen is just what I wanted TikTok reportedly plans ‘immediate’ Sunday shutdown in the US if it’s banned TikTok ban: Sen. Markey tries to give a 270 day extension TikTok says it’s planning for ‘various scenarios’ ahead of possible US ban Elon Musk is reportedly trying to save TikTok  Donald Trump is reportedly considering an executive order to delay the TikTok ban. Duolingo is the real winner in the TikTok ban. RedNote: what it’s like using the Chinese app TikTokers are flocking to What is RedNote? The Chinese app gaining popularity as TikTok ban approaches  The Supreme Court could decide the fate of Pornhub — and the rest of the internet  Sonos CEO Patrick Spence steps down after disastrous app launch Sonos’ interim CEO hits all the right notes in first letter to employees  Sonos’ chief product officer is leaving the company The iPhone Air could be coming later this year Bezos’ Blue Origin successfully launches SpaceX rival Super Bowl LIX will stream for free on Tubi Drake sues his label, UMG, saying ‘Not Like Us’ is defamatory Drake axes ‘Not Like Us’ diss track petition against UMG and Spotify FTC sues John Deere for ‘unfairly’ raising repair costs on farm equipment 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

In five days, TikTok as we know it could be finished in the US. The Verge's Lauren Feiner joins the show to discuss last week's Supreme Court arguments over the ban, why things don't look good for TikTok, and what's likely to happen in the next five days. After that, Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor talks about the state of the gadget inventor, and what it means to be part of the creator economy in 2025. Finally, we answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline about magic-link logins, and why passwords remain such a disaster. Further reading: TikTok’s last stand: Supreme Court weighs ban as deadline looms TikTok still seems headed for a ban after its Supreme Court arguments What it will take for TikTok to survive in the US Kickstarter is adding the ability to collect money indefinitely Kickstarter’s CEO on why he doesn’t think the company will only do crowdfunding forever Passkeys might really kill passwords 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

In this special live episode of The Vergecast, from the Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas, it's time to talk CES. Nilay and David run through some of the show's biggest stories, plus the Meta news that dominated the conversations all week in Vegas. Then Allison Johnson, Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, and Victoria Song join the show to talk about all the newest, best, weirdest, and worst gadgets they've seen this year. AI is everywhere, everyone's making smart glasses, the smart home might be turning a corner, and we've seen it all this week. Thanks to everyone who came out to the live show! And if you couldn't make it, stay tuned — this won't be the last time we all get to hang out. Further reading: Zuckerberg, inspired by Musk, ditches fact checking for Community Notes Zuckerberg says he’s moving Meta moderators to Texas because California seems too ‘biased’ Meta’s fact-checking changes are just what Trump’s FCC head asked for Meta is leaving its users to wade through hate and disinformation Here are some of the horrible things that you can now say on Instagram and Facebook Samsung announces The Frame Pro: could this be the perfect TV?  LG’s 2025 OLED TVs are its best yet — but they risk going overboard with AI LG’s StanbyME sequel adds a carrying strap to the portable TV  Dell kills the XPS brand: Dell, Pro, Max / Premium, Plus, Base Afeela has a price: 89,000, 102,000 TCL NxtPaper max ink mode  Roborock debuts a robot vacuum with a robotic arm at CES This toaster-looking gadget boosts your phone’s battery in seconds A SodaStream for your Hydro Flask! Aqara launches three touchscreen smart home control panels at CES 2025 The Schlage Sense Pro smart lock is one of the first with hands-free unlocking using UWB Bird Buddy’s new camera tracks plants and insects in your garden Mirumi is a furry little companion bot that imitates a shy infant 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

Happy Holidays! The Vergecast is off this week, but we also know you might be doing a lot of traveling and / or avoiding of your family this time of year, so we figured we'd do something a little different. We compiled a bunch of our favorite Vergecast segments and moments from this year — a full six hours of them! — in case you need something to listen to. You may have heard them all before! They might all be new! Maybe it'll be a mix! This one's an easy skip if you're looking for one, but if you need some Verge in your ears this holiday season, we've got you covered. We'll be back for real in January, starting at CES. If you'll be in Vegas, come see us live on Wednesday, January 8th! https://voxmediaevents.com/vergecast And in the meantime, have a great holiday, and rock and roll. Here are the segments we picked, in order, with timestamps (because we can't do chapters, we know, we hate it too): The wild world of undersea cables — 00:04:32 Meet Tony Delivers — 00:42:19 The story of the Delta emulator — 00:56:29 Phones are the ultimate AI gadget — 01:37:12 The history and future of notebooks – 02:04:34 What is a photo? — 02:41:07 An existential gaming console crisis — 03:17:46 Inside the AI music lawsuits — 03:52:12 The history of podcasts — 04:40:59 Our Vision Pro score debate — 05:03:15 A road trip on the hydrogen highway — 05:35:13 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

Happy holidays! Before we disappear into family time and catching up on our favorite shows, we have one more episode for you. And it's 90 minutes of deep nerdery about the smart home. Every year, we try to dig into one standard or spec that has impacted our lives this year, and we couldn't think of anything more potentially great and occasionally infuriating than Matter. Matter is supposed to be the protocol that makes the smart home work — so, uh, how's that going? The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins to discuss the state of the smart home, before we play a game to see how well we understand things. Then, Home Assistant creator Paulus Schoutsen tells us what it's like to try and make Matter work, and where we might be headed next year. Further reading: Matter: everything you need to know about the new smart home protocol Matter’s plan to save the smart home The Thread 1.4 spec is here, but it will be a while until we see any benefit What is Thread and how will it help your smart home? Every device that works with Matter (December 2024) Home Assistant’s next era begins now The Home Assistant Green is here to make the most powerful smart home platform more accessible Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Verge's Victoria Song and Kylie Robison join the show to talk about all of Google's recent AI and XR announcements, and the company's big and Gemini-powered vision for the future of computing. Then Chris Grant, the group publisher for Polygon and The Verge, explains why GTA VI and the Nintendo Switch 2 are so important to the future of gaming — plus a few predictions about how they'll turn out. Finally, The Verge's Helen Havlak answers a hotline question about how she plans her garden in Figma. Which is a real thing she really does. Further reading: The Vergecast at CES – come see us on January 8th! Google launched Gemini 2.0, its new AI model for practically everything Google’s AI enters its ‘agentic era’ I saw Google’s plan to put Android on your face GTA VI: all the news on Rockstar’s next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series Switch 2: all the news and rumors on Nintendo’s next console 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

For the second episode in our two-part 2025 preview, Nilay and David are once again joined by Wall Street Journal columnist (and friend of The Verge) Joanna Stern to talk about what will, and won't, happen in tech next year. This time, David joins us after a quick jaunt to the end of next year, and relays a bunch of things that happened in tech in 2025. But some of them are lies. Joanna and Nilay have to decide which things really will happen next year, and which won't. As always, the hosts get points for good guesses and negative points for bad ones. And once we're all in late 2025, we'll declare a winner. 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

Nilay, David, and The Verge's Richard Lawler talk about a big week in AI news. First, they go over all the latest on Google's Gemini 2.0 launch, and try to figure out whether Project Astra and Project Mariner will ever turn into products people use. They also discuss OpenAI's release (and un-release) of Sora, the new Reddit Answers tool, and what's new in iOS 18.2. Finally, in the lightning round, there's talk of YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Sonos, and Cruise. There also is and isn't talk of quantum computing. Because that's possible now. Further reading: Google’s AI enters its ‘agentic era’  Gemini 2.0: what’s new in Google’s new flagship AI model Google’s AI-powered smart glasses are a little closer to being real  Google’s new Jules AI agent will help developers fix buggy code Google is testing Gemini AI agents that help you in video games Google built an AI tool that can do research for you Android XR_Keyword OpenAI has finally released Sora iOS 18.2 is out now, adding ChatGPT integration and more Apple Intelligence tools ChatGPT’s side-by-side ‘Canvas’ view is now available to everyone.  Reddit’s new AI search tool helps you find Reddit answers without Google YouTube is still growing fast on TVs in the living room Instagram will let creators test experimental reels on random people It sure sounds like Trump would be okay with a TikTok sale TikTok failed to save itself with the First Amendment Sonos Arc Ultra review: don’t call it a comeback (yet) Google reveals quantum computing chip with ‘breakthrough’ achievements Amazon’s online car ‘dealership’ with Hyundai is now live YouTube’s AI-powered dubbing is now available to many more creators Searching for color at Pantone’s all-brown party  Adam Mosseri on introducing Trial Reels From WSJ: iOS 18.2 Review: The AI Apple Promised Us 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

A week ago, The Verge launched a subscription. And you had questions! So we have answers. The Verge’s Helen Havlak and Nilay Patel join the show to talk about how we priced the subscription, why ad-free podcasts are hard to do, Apple News, what we do during ad breaks, and much more. And if we didn’t answer your question, let us know! Call the Vergecast Hotline at 866-VERGE11, or email vergecast@theverge.com, with all your questions. Thanks to everyone who sent them in! Further reading: Nilay's post about The Verge subscription Subscribe to The Verge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to our two-part preview of the year to come! For the first installment, Nilay, David, and Wall Street Journal columnist Joanna Stern bring all the predictions for 2025 — their mildest, medium-est, and spiciest ideas about the year to come. Each host presents their take on TikTok bans, social platforms, smart homes, streaming services, and more, and the others get to decide whether they agree. Whoever gets the most right at the end of the year will win a big prize. (There's a points system for determining all that, but we'll figure that out later.) 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

Nilay and David talk a bit about this week’s launch of the Verge subscription, plus what’s coming next. (There’s still time to send questions for next week! 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com.) Then they talk about the streaming news of the week, and the ways streaming services are continuing to act like cable companies. Then Kylie Robison joins to talk about the lowering stakes for AGI, shipmas at OpenAI, and more. Finally, in the lighting round, it’s crypto and browsers and Intel. And more crypto. Further reading: Here we go: The Verge now has a subscription ESPN is coming to the Disney Plus app starting today Max is testing always-on HBO channels Max is finally about to start cracking down on password sharing. Walmart bought Vizio  OpenAI’s 12 days of ‘shipmas’ include Sora and new reasoning model Sam Altman says AGI will “matter much less” than people expect Sam Altman on Elon Musk and OpenAI’s relationship with Microsoft. ChatGPT’s search results for news are ‘unpredictable’ and frequently inaccurate Stop using generative AI as a search engine Misinformation expert admits ChatGPT added fake details to his anti-deepfake court filing Bitcoin just hit $100,000  Dia is the The Browser Company’s AI-powered follow-up to Arc Threads takes an important baby step toward true fediverse integration Threads’ next update is a search feature that finds the post you’re looking for Meta says it’s mistakenly removing too many posts Intel’s CEO is out after only three years What happened to Intel? Trump picks two nominees who could decide the fate of Big Tech and crypto  Spotify Wrapped 2024 adds an AI podcast to recap your listening habits Apple Music’s yearly recap is finally available in the app Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Verge's Thomas Ricker joins the show with an update on his question to live the #vanlife. He shares stories about Starlink Mini, the new Peak Design backpack everyone loves, converting a Sprinter van to a mobile apartment, and more. Then, The Verge's Andru Marino takes us through his tests on a bunch of new creator- and social-friendly microphones, which plug into your phone and promise to make everything sound better. Finally, we answer a question about web browsers on the Vergecast Hotline. (Don't forget to send us your questions about The Verge and The Vergecast for next week's episode! Call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com with all your most meta questions.) Further reading: Starlink Mini review: space internet goes ultraportable Peak Design’s Outdoor Backpack is a more versatile everyday bag Stoke Voltaics’ portable electric cookware review This backpack solar generator can help you ignore nature This little box provides on-demand power when off the grid Living and working from an all-electric VW ID Buzz DJI’s new wireless mics skip a few features to get smaller and lighter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2024 is almost over, somehow. So we gathered a bunch of our Verge colleagues and told them each to tell us three things from the year: the biggest story, their favorite new tech thing, and their favorite new non-tech thing. We got a collection of big stories, cool gadgets, great movies, and more good stuff from the year that was. We're also planning a special episode for Tuesday, December 10th, all about The Verge and The Vergecast. So if you have questions about how we work, what we cover, why we talk about copyright law so much, or what Nilay is actually like to work with every day, tell us! Call 866-VERGE11, or email vergecast@theverge.com, and we'll answer as many as we can on the 10th. Thanks in advance! Further reading: Jay Peters: Story of the year: Google is a monopoly New thing of the year: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Non-tech thing of the year: XOXO Field Notes notebooks Jake Kastrenakes: Story of the year: All things AI New thing of the year: The Wiim Ultra amp Non-tech thing of the year: Chronoloy Justine Calma Story of the year: The US election, and the rise of nuclear power New thing of the year: Nurse Unseen Non-tech thing of the year: Sugarcane Vjeran Pavic: Story of the year: The Apple Vision Pro New thing of the year: The Fujifilm X100VI and the Kino app Non-tech thing of the year: Mountain Gazette Kylie Robison: Story of the year: Billionaire crybabies New thing of the year: Stardew Valley Non-tech thing of the year: Curated playlists Barbara Krasnoff: Story of the year: The US election New thing of the year: The Elgato Stream Deck Non-tech thing of the year: Googly eyes Alex Heath: Story of the year: The AI rat race New thing of the year: Granola Non-tech thing of the year: Shochu Ash Parrish: Story of the year: Grand Theft Auto VI and the Nintendo Switch 2, and more industry layoffs New thing of the year: The Playstation Portal Non-tech thing of the year: Bucephalus the puppy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Verge's Lauren Feiner joins Nilay and David to talk about the US government's proposal in its search antitrust case against Google. They discuss the future of Chrome, what a white-label search engine might look like, and how a Trump administration might change the course of this case altogether. Then Nilay and David talk about the week in AI and gadget news, from the latest on Amazon's new Alexa to Google bailing on tablets all over again. Finally, in the lightning round, they discuss Comcast spinning off its cable channels and the latest in the Threads / Bluesky competition. Further reading: DOJ says Google must sell Chrome to crack open its search monopoly Google responds to DOJ’s ‘extreme proposal.’ Google workers to DOJ: we need protections to make your breakup effective Apple fights to keep DOJ antitrust suit from reaching trial Amazon announces new Echo Show 21 and Echo Show 15 smart displays Google may be about to reboot its laptop and tablet hardware again Google reportedly cancels Pixel Tablet 2 and might quit the category — again Sonos’ smart TV plans might have found an OS Windows 365 Link is a $349 mini PC that streams Windows from the cloud Comcast is spinning off its cable TV business Trump names Brendan Carr as his FCC leader Strava closes the gates to sharing fitness data with other apps Inside Elon Musk’s messy breakup with OpenAI Threads’ custom feeds are already rolling out Threads’ algorithm will focus more on the people you follow Bose acquires premium audio brand McIntosh 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

Richard Lawler joins the show to chat about the Tyson / Paul fight, and more importantly the fact that Netflix didn't seem to be able to keep up. As live sports — and TV in general — move toward streaming, are even the biggest names in tech ready for what's coming? After that, Roland Allen, the author of The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper, tells us about the history of the notebook, and why we've been writing things down about our lives for centuries. Even in a digital world, Allen argues, you just can't beat the notebook. Finally, a question from the Vergecast Hotline sends producer Will Poor down a TikTok Shop rabbit hole. Further reading: Netflix served the Tyson vs. Paul fight to 60 million households NFL fans worry Netflix’s bad Tyson vs. Paul stream means it can’t handle football Netflix adds Beyoncé to live entertainment juggernaut Netflix snagged global streaming rights for NFL Christmas Day games Roland Allen’s website The Notebook: a History of Thinking on Paper 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

For the third episode in our series about the future of music, we talk with Ge Wang. Ge is a professor at Stanford, a co-founder of Smule, the conductor of Stanford’s laptop orchestra, and has been at the center of technology and artistry for most of his life. We talk about how humans can use AI without giving in to it, what it means to truly play with technology, and the value of art and creativity and friction when it feels like all those things are being taken away. Further reading: Ge Wang’s website The future of computer music | Stanford University School of Engineering Ge’s viral TED talk: The DIY orchestra of the future From Wired: Behind the Scenes With the Stanford Laptop Orchestra Ge Wang: Human Well-Being Should Be AI Creators’ Goal 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

Nilay and David talk about the future of social, in light of Bluesky's recent surge in growth. Threads is huge, Bluesky is ascendent, Mastodon is... around, but can any of them become the next Twitter? Is that even the goal? After that, Kylie Robison joins the show and the gang discusses Apple's smart home device (which is just an iPad), the AI scaling slowdown, and a new twist in the delivery wars. In the lightning round, it's all about disclosures, wireless carriers, and the sad end of Freevee. Further reading: Twitter’s succession: all the news about alternative social media platforms  One million people have joined Bluesky in the past week. Bluesky adds 700,000 new users in a week The Guardian is quitting X. Remember the TikTok ban? Apple’s rumored six-inch ‘AI wall tablet’ could control your smart home by March 2025 Apple is reportedly working on an Apple Home security camera  Anthropic co-founder Darius Amodei said we’ll have artificial general intelligence “in 2026 or 2027.” Just Eat is selling Grubhub to Marc Lore’s Wonder for $650M Boost Mobile says it’s a real wireless carrier now Amazon is shutting down Freevee Trump says Elon Musk will lead ‘DOGE’ office to cut ‘wasteful’ government spending 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

On today's show: sleep gadgets, AI DJs, and sneaky TVs. Victoria Song joins the show to talk about her experiences with the Eight Sleep mattress pad, the Oura Ring 4, and other sleep gadgets. Can you really measure your way to a better night of sleep? After that, Allison Johnson gives us her take on Spotify's AI DJ, and we wonder exactly how an AI tool is supposed to help us find and listen to music. Finally, Nilay Patel comes on to answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline about the Samsung Frame TVs — and how to figure out whether you need a TV at all. Further reading: Eight Sleep Pod 4 Ultra review: for sale, good night’s sleep, just $4,700 Ozlo Sleepbuds hands-on: resurrected and I’ve slept so good Oura Ring 4 review: still on top — for now Spotify’s AI is no match for a real DJ Samsung’s Frame TV is finally getting the knockoffs it deserves 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

For the second episode in our three-part miniseries about the future of music, Charlie Harding, a music journalist and co-host of the Switched on Pop podcast, joins the show to tell the story of Auto-Tune. He walks us through how a simple plugin became such a recognizable sound in music, why both artists and fans gravitated to the Auto-Tune sound, and why Auto-Tune has continued to grow even through backlash in the music business. Then we look ahead to AI, and try to figure out what — if any — lessons we might be able to learn about the sound and culture of the AI era to come. Further reading: Charlie Harding on X Switched on Pop From Pitchfork: How Auto-Tune Revolutionized the Sound of Popular Music From Rick Beato: How Auto-Tune DESTROYED Popular Music From Gabi Belle: The Problem with Autotune on TikTok 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