The Vergecast

Aisha Hassan, an expert on the impact of streaming on pop music, shares her insights alongside hosts Charlie Harding and Nate Sloan. They dive into how streaming has reshaped song lengths and structures, pressuring artists to produce shorter, catchier tracks. The conversation touches on the tension between artistic integrity and market demand, as well as how modern pop songs engage listeners quickly. They also explore the challenges this poses for meaningful communication in a digital age obsessed with quick consumption.

Nat Garun, a staff writer at The Verge, shares insights from her review of the Samsung Galaxy S10E, emphasizing its affordability and user-friendly features, though she critiques its low-light camera performance. The team also discusses the competitive landscape, with Spotify's antitrust complaint against Apple's App Store practices stealing the spotlight. The conversation delves into new features of Android Q, including dark mode and privacy enhancements, sparking debates about user data and corporate responsibility in the tech industry.

The hosts dive into the complexities of breaking up powerful tech giants like Amazon and Google. They discuss the historical precedents and potential benefits of antitrust measures, while humorously examining the challenges ahead. The conversation shifts to Spotify's ambitions in the podcasting space and its impact on creators. They also reflect on the evolving cultural landscape at SXSW, highlighting the chaos of electric scooters and the balance between user privacy and real-time mapping. A lively blend of tech talk and societal implications makes for an engaging discussion.

Casey Newton, a noted technology journalist focusing on Facebook, joins media reporter Julia Alexander to explore the evolution of privacy in the tech world. They discuss Zuckerberg's vision for a more private Facebook and question its authenticity. The conversation then shifts to HBO’s strategy after AT&T’s restructuring and the implications for the streaming wars, including Disney's emerging dominance. They also touch on YouTube's struggles with content moderation in light of growing concerns over child safety and misinformation.

Anchor CEO Michael Mignano discusses the company's recent acquisition by Spotify, the future of podcasting, and whether Anchor could become the "YouTube for podcasts." The Verge's Nilay Patel and Ashley Carman talk to Mignano about the current difficulties the podcast industry faces along with possible solutions for discovery and questioning what to do with the RSS feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The latest news from Mobile World Congress including Huawei's new foldable phone, Nokia's five-camera phone, and Sony's very tall phone. The Verge's Nilay Patel, Dan Seifert, Paul Miller, Natt Garun, and Chaim Gartenberg discuss which foldable phone so far has the best design, what phone can actually get 5G, and Microsoft's updated headset the HoloLens 2. Stories discussed this episode: - Huawei has the best first draft for a foldable phone- This 18,000mAh battery has a phone in it- Sony’s Xperia 1 literally stands out from the crowd with a super tall screen- LG enters the 5G game with the V50 ThinQ- LG’s palm-reading G8 has a unique vision of the future- LG’s answer to the foldable mania is a second screen- The Nokia 9 PureView has five cameras and a lot to prove- Motorola confirms its foldable phone is coming, and it could look like a RAZR- HoloLens 2: inside Microsoft's new headset- A closer look at Microsoft’s new Kinect sensor- USB 3.2 standard gets new, even more confusing names ahead of its mainstream debutThanks to Microsoft Azure for sponsoring this episode. Get started with a free account and 12 months of popular free services at Azure.com/trial today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In “The Trauma Floor,” The Verge’s Casey Newton uncovered the horrendous working conditions for contract Facebook moderators. On this week’s Vergecast, he and editor-in-chief Nilay Patel discuss how he uncovered them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samsung unveils its new Galaxy foldable phone and the new S10 at their latest event. The Verge’s Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn, Dan Seifert, and Paul Miller react to the latest Samsung event and debate whether a foldable phone priced at a nearly $2,000 will be a game-changer. They also discuss the new updates to Samsung’s S10 phone, including a headphone jack.Stories mentioned in the show: Samsung’s foldable phone is the Galaxy Fold, available April 26th starting at $1,980Samsung officially announces the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus, starting at $899The Samsung Galaxy S10E is small without skimping too muchHands-on with Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch ActiveSamsung’s new Galaxy Watch Active measures blood pressureNike says it’s ‘actively working’ to fix its broken smart sneakersSamsung’s Galaxy S10 5G will temporarily be a Verizon exclusiveTrump wants 6G internet ‘as soon as possible’AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson on Recode MediaGoogle claims built-in Nest mic was ‘never intended to be a secret’Apple dug a tunnel beneath the App Store, and the rats are getting throughApple to combine iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps by 2021, says BloombergYou can remap the Bixby button on Samsung’s Galaxy S10 to do whatever you want Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CEO of Foursquare Jeff Glueck discusses the ethics of companies that track their users’ movements. Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel and Glueck further explore Foursquare's aim to help its customers become less reliant on mapping companies like Google, and how responsibly managing a user’s data and privacy is not only the right thing to do, but good for business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nilay, Dieter, Casey, and Paul react to Amazon cancelling plans for their second headquarters in NYC, Apple's rumored spring event and announcements, and some new Android phones hitting the market soon. Stories featured in this episode: Amazon cancels HQ2 in New York after backlashAmazon HQ2 defeat is a win for Queens activists but a ‘facepalm’ for tech leadersAmazon is buying mesh router company EeroJeff Bezos says National Enquirer is threatening to publish his nude …Apple’s Netflix competitor will reportedly be unveiled in March... or maybe AprilApple is reportedly planning a March 25th event for its subscriptionApple just made it easier to find and manage subscriptions in iOS …Apple's video service may launch without HBO and Netflix support …Apple reportedly demanding a staggering 50 percent of revenue with ...Apple's new deal for journalism should send publishers runningEarth is dying and this couple is crowdfunding a sex buttonNorth Focals glasses review: a $600 smartwatch for your facePhone makers aren’t even trying to keep their secrets secret anymoreGoogle launching Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel Watch in 2019, says Nikkei …The LG G8 has a vibrating OLED screen for a speakerThanks to Microsoft Azure for sponsoring this episode. Get started with a free account and 12 months of popular free services at Azure.com/trial today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices