The next big thing in movies is 60-year-old IMAX tech
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is the first feature film ever shot entirely with IMAX 70mm film cameras, which is apparently a very big deal, and why it's been harder than usual to get a ticket to see Matt Damon. And now that Spider-Man is moving onto IMAX screens, it may be even harder to get a ticket. Why is this 60-year-old technology suddenly the hottest thing in movies? The Verge's film and TV reporter Charles Pulliam-Moore joins senior reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy to compare the standard and IMAX versions of The Odyssey and talk us through the difference between IMAX, LieMAX, and Infinity Vision.
Further reading:
Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey will be the first movie shot entirely on IMAX film
Don’t screw this up, Marvel
The Odyssey turned me into an IMAX believer
Google just announced a major shakeup of its top AI leadership
Nintendo beats earnings thanks to US tariff refunds it won’t share with gamers
Bose’s upgraded QuietComfort headphones add head-tracking immersive audio
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 left and right agree on one thing: no data centers
Our guest today is Gaby Del Valle, a policy reporter here at The Verge, and we’re discussing the growing backlash against AI data centers. Gaby recently reported a fantastic piece about Hernando County, Florida, where last month the county commission unanimously approved a year-long moratorium on data center construction.
So I wanted Gaby to talk me through what these protests look like on the ground, from voters whose party affiliations have typically aligned them with big business.
Read the full interview transcript on The Verge.
Links:
Right-wingers protesting data centers have a lot in common with the left | The Verge
No data centers in my backyard | Jasmine Sun
Who’s afraid of the big, bad GPU? | The Verge
NY becomes the first state to enact a data center moratorium | The Verge
The fight against AI data centers is just beginning | The Verge
Florida gives millions in tax breaks to data centers under DeSantis-backed law | Tampa Bay Times
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 supervising producer is Greg Ott, and our editorial director is Kevin McShane.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What's really open about open-weight AI?
Everyone in AI is talking about open-weight models right now. Some see them as the ticket to faster, more efficient development; others see them as an economic threat; they're either a security risk or the only security solution, depending who you ask. The Verge's Robert Hart explains how open-weight models work, why they're suddenly at the center of discussions about AI safety, and whether the only way to stop a bad guy with AI is a good guy with AI.
Further reading:
The next Xbox could play every Xbox game ever made
Microsoft is bringing Xbox 360 games to PC
Apple briefly yanked Telegram from the App Store over CSAM violations
These trackable batteries could help you locate a missing camera
OpenAI’s rogue AI agent didn’t stop at hacking Hugging Face
We’re running out of reasons to ignore AI safety
Anthropic says Claude accidentally hacked real companies too
China’s Alibaba takes another swipe at America’s AI supremacy
OpenAI’s biggest threat may just be open AI
Nvidia, Microsoft launch open AI security alliance — without OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic
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
Rise of the Whoop dupes
For the last few years, the trend in wearables has been all about screens. As many of them as possible. But now, companies like Whoop, Fitbit, and Garmin are creating new products that ditch the display entirely. The Verge's Victoria Song explains why no-screen is the new flex, why even the most quantified athletes might not want a display on their wrist, and whether Whoop and the Whoop Dupes are a sign of a broader trend
Further reading:
Spider-Man and The Odyssey are splitting up IMAX screens after a record-breaking weekend)
Truth Social’s priority access subscription goes live and raises corruption concerns. | The Verge
Google’s Pixel 11 specs and price leak showing the impact of RAMageddon | The Verge
Lenovo Googlebook leaks reveal a laptop and 2-in-1 tablet | The Verge
The Fitbit Air takes a smarter approach to the AI health dumpster fire
Garmin’s new screen-free fitness tracker doesn’t require a subscription
Whoop wants everyone to give a whoop about the new Whoop 5.0
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 Z Fold 8 is the new foldable to beat
The wide foldable is here, and it's glorious. The Verge's Dominic Preston has been reviewing Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8, and joins the show to explain what this shorter, wider device gets right, what it's still missing, and why this looks like the right kind of foldable for most people. (Once the price comes down, anyway.) With a similar foldable iPhone likely coming soon, it's shaping up to be a fun year of foldables.
Further reading:
OpenAI’s rogue AI agent didn’t stop at hacking Hugging Face | The Verge
The US is banning foreign robots | The Verge
DoorDash is going airborne with new drone delivery division
Willie Nelson is pushing back against data centers in his hometown.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like the future
Huawei beats Samsung and Apple to market with the first wide foldable
A wide foldable iPhone dummy emerges amid rumors of a delay
So long, small phones
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
Here's what an AI-first phone might look like
Some of the biggest players in AI — in particular OpenAI, SpaceX, and Amazon — are heavily invested in creating a world after smartphones. They're also all rumored to be building devices that sound a lot like smartphones. Verge contributor David Imel helps us figure out what these companies might actually be building, what an AI smartphone looks like, and whether anyone can unseat Apple and Google.
Links:
Elon Musk denies a report about SpaceX’s AI phone prototype
OpenAI is reportedly launching a phone for ChatGPT
Amazon is making an Alexa phone
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
What Apple’s OpenAI lawsuit is really about
Today, I’m talking with Hayden Field, The Verge’s senior AI reporter, about the major trade secrets lawsuit between Apple and OpenAI, and what this tells us about OpenAI’s future.
Hayden has been covering OpenAI for years now, and she also just talked to a bunch of lawyers who specialize in intellectual property and trade secret law to get a sense of how serious this case is. The answer is not entirely positive for OpenAI. This legal battle could also affect OpenAI’s hardware plans, its forthcoming IPO, and its already-damaged reputation.
Read the full interview transcript on The Verge.
Links:
Sam Altman didn’t need another lawsuit | The Verge
OpenAI’s first device will be moveable, screenless speaker | Bloomberg
Apple sues OpenAI for allegedly stealing hardware secrets | The Verge
The 6 wildest claims in Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI | The Verge
OpenAI is buying Jony Ive’s AI hardware company | 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
The car of the future is an EV golf cart
So far, most electric vehicles have looked more or less like cars. But recently, a few companies have looked to another, smaller mode of transport for inspiration. The Verge's Andy Hawkins explains why companies like Amble and Chip are reinventing the golf cart, in the hopes of creating an entirely new kind of street-legal vehicle. As long as the speed limit stays low.
Further reading:
The Light Flip is a minimalist flip phone with a point to prove | The Verge
Anthropic has to pay authors. | The Verge
The cost of GPUs goes far beyond AI data centers | The Verge
Is America ready for this quirky Jeep-looking EV that can park itself?
The ‘G-Wagen of golf carts’ could be the ideal second car
America’s cheapest new EV is smaller than a ping-pong table and tops out at 19mph
Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxi is getting a refresh
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 US is losing its lead in AI
Since the beginning of the AI revolution, a few companies have claimed to be building the best and most powerful AI models. All of them were American. More recently, a few Chinese companies seem to have caught up, shipping models that are much cheaper and maybe also just as good. The Verge's Hayden Field and Lauren Feiner join the show to explain how China made so much progress, the threat that progress represents to US companies and the US government, and what might happen next.
Further reading:
China and the US are battling to become the world’s first AI superpower
Trump’s Anthropic shutdown just made the case for non-American AI
China delivers a one-two punch to America’s AI dominance
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
Were we too nice to the Steam Machine?
Valve's Steam Machine might be exactly the living room console you've been waiting for. Or it might be too expensive, totally pointless, a waste of everyone's money and shelf space. The Verge's Sean Hollister joins the show to talk through all the feedback we've been getting about our coverage and our review. Is Valve's history a pro or a con? Is the price reasonable or ridiculous? Who is this device actually for? We have much to discuss.
Further reading:
Google and Epic give up fighting — third-party Android app stores are coming next week
OpenAI may announce a ChatGPT smart speaker this year
Another turn in the Apple v. OpenAI dispute
The Steam Machine is the most ambitious game console I’ve ever played
The Steam Machine fits my TV, my desk, and my life
Valve will finally let you build your own Steam Machine with SteamOS for desktop
How much would the Steam Machine cost to build?
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 problem with Suno and AI music
AI-generated music is suddenly everywhere. On social media, music streaming services, and elsewhere, stuff made on Suno is becoming unavoidable. The Verge's Terrence O'Brien joins David to talk about where Suno came from, whether it can truly change the way we create and consume music, and how we can and should respond to AI music. We also have some thoughts on whether these songs might someday be bangers.
Further reading:
X admits its broken algorithm made the site feel like a ‘battleground’ | The Verge
The Pixel colors might rule this year | The Verge
Pixel Watch 5 leak shows off four different finishes | The Verge
New York becomes the first state to enact a data center moratorium | The Verge
Suno is a music copyright nightmare
Suno leans into customization with v5.5
Nobody wants to tell me why they only listen to their own Suno slop
Suno’s upgraded AI music generator is technically impressive, but still soulless
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
Watch, headphones, phone: Which AI gadget is best?
So far, there have been exactly zero great AI-first gadgets. But that hasn't stopped the tech industry from trying to figure out what shape and size these new gadgets might take, and whether any of them can best the device in your pocket. The Verge's Allison Johnson and Victoria Song join David to rank all those shapes, from pendant to smartwatch to rectangle, to see whether there is actually a next big thing out there.
Further reading:
Apple sues OpenAI for allegedly stealing hardware secrets | The Verge
Less is more with the Oura Ring 5 | The Verge
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 still way too hard to switch phones
How much smartphone is too much smartphone? Why is it so hard to switch from one phone to another, even in 2026? And is your smartwatch finally ready to replace your phone, even for a few things? These are the questions you have, and The Verge's Allison Johnson is here to answer them. If you have others, keep 'em coming! Call the Vergecast Hotline at 866-VERGE11, email vergecast@theverge.com, tell us everything.
Further reading:
Google announces Pixel 11 launch event in August | The Verge
The whole Pixel line could get more expensive this year | The Verge
Meta’s glasses will turn off the camera if you tamper with the privacy light | The Verge
This jumping $800 robot camera dog filled me with joy
Ditching my phone for an LTE smartwatch was a humbling experience
I switch phones once a week — here’s how I manage the chaos
Welp, I bought an iPhone again
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
We finally have a Trump Phone | The Vergecast Livestream
We've been tracking the Trump Phone for more than a year. We weren't sure it was real, or that it would ever ship — and we were pretty darn sure it wasn't going to be made in America. Whatever the Trump Phone is, though? We finally got our hands on one. Dom Preston and some other Verge friends will join David to talk about the device, our first impressions, and whether this is could be the best phone of 2026. (Just kidding.)
Further reading:
I finally got my Trump phone
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
Rivian’s last chance to take on Tesla
For years, Rivian has looked like one of the most compelling electric vehicle companies in America — and maybe the car maker most equipped to take on Tesla. All that potential comes down to this: the R2, the long-awaited and more affordable car that Rivian hopes can make it truly mainstream. After a journey to the R2's factory earlier this year, The Verge's Andrew Hawkins explains what the R2 is, why it matters, and what happens to Rivian if it's a hit — or a flop.
Further reading:
Range anxiety
The Rivian R2 is too much fun to let drive itself
Rivian surprises with R3 and R3X electric SUVs
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
Our vibe coded projects that actually work
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
Google's new speaker and your smart home questions
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
Who decides when AI is too dangerous?
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
YouTube is taking over Hollywood
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
449: ‘Live From WWDC 2026’, With Joanna Stern and Nilay Patel
Recorded in front of a live audience at The California Theatre in San Jose on Tuesday 9 June 2026, special guests Joanna Stern and Nilay Patel join John Gruber to discuss Apple’s announcements at WWDC 2026.
Video: This show is available to watch on YouTube.
3D video with spatial audio: Exclusively in Sandwich Vision's Theater on Vision Pro, available on the App Store.
Sponsored by:
DetailsPro — Design with SwiftUI anytime, anywhere: on iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Vision Pro. Get one year of DetailsPro Premium for $26 (normally $59.99) with this link.
Flighty — The world’s best flight tracker and travel app. Now hiring one Senior Product Designer and one Senior Full-Stack iOS Engineer.
Finalist — A daily planner for iPhone, iPad and Mac, built on proven paper-based planning methods. Use this link to get six months free.
Transcripts: Unofficial but surprisingly good.
Links:
Apple’s WWDC keynote and State of the Union videos.
New Things — Joanna’s new thing.
Joanna’s first take on Apple’s announcements.
I Am Not a Robot — Joanna’s new bestselling book on consumer AI.
Sandwich — the team behind the video version of this show.
This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.
The Take It Down Act is in full effect. Now what?
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.
SpaceX is reportedly overvalued ahead of its IPO
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
Why FCC Chair Brendan Carr Is a Dangerous Moron
Kara is joined by FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, Knight First Amendment Institute executive director Jameel Jaffer, and The Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel to discuss FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s escalating campaign against media companies, broadcasters and speech President Trump dislikes.
They discuss Carr’s threats against ABC/Disney, his attempts to revive old rules around “equal time” and “news distortion,” and the Trump administration's broader push to control federal agencies. They also explain how Carr's actions create a chilling effect on free speech, and why media companies must fight back. Plus: Why Nilay says Carr's actions towards broadcasters are a "test balloon" for future internet regulation.
Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
598: 8TB of Space in a Trash Can
Stephen and Myke take on Nilay Patel and David Pierce about the top 50 Apple products and then dream of going to the moon.
This episode of Connected is sponsored by:
Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
Mercury Weather: Forecasts, beautifully done. Download now for free.
Steamclock: We make great apps. Design and development, from demos to details.
Links and Show Notes:
Get Connected Pro: Preshow, postshow, no ads.
Submit Feedback
NPC: Next Portable Console and NPC XL - MacStories
Romics
OpenCore Legacy Patcher
Maestral
Arq Backup
UPGRADING a MacBook Neo using iPhone Parts - DosDude1 on YouTube
Apple in Talks to Boost Mac Neo Production as Sales Exceed Expectations – Tim Culpan
New MacBook Neo With A19 Pro Chip and 12GB RAM Expected Next Year - MacRumors
I tested three Windows laptops in the MacBook Neo’s price range — there’s no contest | The Verge
The Apple product that really changed the industry: the MacBook Air | The Verge
The Windows Laptop Problem - MKBHD - YouTube
Upgrade #610: We Hear You're Good at Computers - Relay
Rank the best Apple products from the last 50 years | The Verge
How to Add and Organize Glances on Apple Watch - MacRumors (2015)
The Late Apollo 8 and 13 Commander Jim Lovell Recorded Message for Artemis II Crew - 512 Pixels
Artemis II Photos - 512 Pixels
The SLS rocket is the worst thing to happen to NASA—but maybe also the best? - Ars Technica
A jury says Meta and Google hurt a kid. What now?
Today, we’re talking about the landmark social media addiction trials that just resulted in two major verdicts against Big Tech — one in California against Meta and Google, and another in New Mexico against just Meta.
These are complicated cases with some huge repercussions for both how these platforms work and the very nature of speech in America. So we’ve brought on two heavy hitters: my friend Casey Newton, founder and editor of Platformer and co-host of Hard Fork, as well as Verge senior policy reporter Lauren Feiner, who’s been covering these trials since the beginning.
Links:
Meta & YouTube found negligent in social media addiction trial | The Verge
Meta misled users about its products’ safety, jury decides | The Verge
Meta’s legal defeat: a victory for kids, or a loss for everyone | The Verge
Can you have child safety and Section 230, too? | Platformer
The terrible cost of infinite scroll | The New York Times
I watched grieving parents stare down Zuckerberg in court | The Verge
Section 230 turns 30 as it faces its biggest tests yet | The Verge
Congress considers blowing up internet law | The Verge
Sen. Rob Wyden: “Why the internet still needs Section 230” | The Verge
How America turned against the First Amendment | 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
Millions of books died so Claude could live
AI companies want all the data, everywhere, to make their models bigger and better. That means a lot of questions about piracy and copyright, and at least in one case it means Anthropic systematically destroying countless books just to feed them to the model. The Washington Post's Will Oremus joins the show to explain how that worked, why Anthropic, Meta, OpenAI and others are doing it, and what the law has to say. Then, Puck's Julia Alexander helps David figure out whether Netflix is serious about showing movies in theaters, and what theaters need to do to survive in the entertainment business going forward.
Further reading:
From The Washington Post: Anthropic ‘destructively’ scanned millions of books to build Claude
Anthropic wins a major fair use victory for AI — but it’s still in trouble for stealing books
Meta’s AI copyright win comes with a warning about fair use
Did AI companies win a fight with authors? Technically
From Puck: Why Netflix Needs Warner Bros.
Welcome to the big leagues, Netflix
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
Netflix is eating Hollywood — because it has to
Today, we’re talking about the bidding war over Warner Bros. Discovery, which is the biggest story in the entertainment industry right now, and for good reason. It has pretty much everything you could want in a buzzy Hollywood saga — big names, big money, and big drama.
To help me make sense of it all, I wanted to talk with Julia Alexander, a Verge alum and now media correspondent at Puck News who’s one of the best in the business at analyzing corporate strategy, Hollywood, and what’s next in entertainment. Julia really helped me break down why Netflix is the clear front runner to acquire Warner Bros., why David Ellison of Paramount Skydance is so desperate to win, and, perhaps most importantly, how the tech industry fits into this puzzle.
Links:
Netflix is buying Warner Bros. for $83 billion | The Verge
Paramount launches hostile $108 billion bid to snatch Warner | The Verge
Netflix revises Warner Bros. bid to an all-cash offer | The Verge
Why Netflix needs Warner Bros. | Puck News
The Warner Bros. bidding war Is over | Bloomberg
The Son King of Hollywood | Vulture
FCC Chair: ‘Legitimate competition concerns’ with Netflix’s Warner deal | Variety
Netflix's Ted Sarandos to testify at antitrust hearing over Warner deal | Variety
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
Unraveling the complex knot of an AI-generated hoax
In the era of AI, sometimes a story is really just too good to be true, even if the initial evidence suggests otherwise.
And as artificially engineered content becomes mainstream, journalists need to go the extra mile to verify a story’s authenticity.
Casey Newton from Platformer spoke with “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino about his recent wild goose chase that ended in an AI hoax.
Elon’s “Nudify” Mess: How X Supercharged Deepfakes
On Christmas Eve, Elon Musk’s X rolled out an in-app tool that lets users alter other people’s photos and post the results directly in reply. With minimal safeguards, it quickly became a pipeline for sexualized, non-consensual deepfakes, including imagery involving minors, delivered straight into victims’ notifications.
Renée DiResta, Hany Farid, and Casey Newton join Kara to dig into the scale of the harm, the failure of app stores and regulators to act quickly, and why the “free speech” rhetoric used to defend the abuse is incoherent. Kara explores what accountability could look like — and what comes next as AI tools get more powerful.
Renée DiResta is the former technical research manager at Stanford's Internet Observatory. She researched online CSAM for years and is one of the world’s leading experts on online disinformation and propaganda. She’s also the author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality.
Hany Farid is a professor of computer sciences and engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He’s been described as the father of digital image forensics and has spent years developing tools to combat CSAM.
Casey Newton is the founder of the tech newsletter Platformer and the co-host of The New York Times podcast Hard Fork.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday, January 20th.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for X referred us to a a statement post on X, which reads in part:
We remain committed to making X a safe platform for everyone and continue to have zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content.
We take action to remove high-priority violative content, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and non-consensual nudity, taking appropriate action against accounts that violate our X Rules. We also report accounts seeking Child Sexual Exploitation materials to law enforcement authorities as necessary.
Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How Lego’s Smart Brick works
January brings two things in Vergecast-land: CES, and New Years' Resolutions. We start this episode with a dive into the story of this year's biggest tech show, the Lego Smart Brick, which is either a clever way of thinking about creativity or the end of creativity as we know it. Sean Hollister explains how the Smart Brick works, and how Lego can make sure it ends the right way. Then, Platformer's Casey Newton discusses his productivity system, his adventures in Claude Code, and how you too can make yourself a little more productive this year — with or without AI.
Further reading:
Lego announces Smart Brick, the ‘most significant evolution’ in 50 years
Lego’s Smart Bricks aren’t just an experiment
I played with the Lego Smart Brick
From Platformer: The project that turned me into a Claude Code believer
From Platformer: What I learned about productivity this year
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
