The Vergecast: Ad-Free Edition

Kylie Robison joins the show to talk about the recent dueling AI blog posts from OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei. What do these CEOs think the future of AI looks like? Then, Will Poor tells us the story of ShakeAlert, an earthquake alert system that has huge potential and some surprising challenges. On The Vergecast Hotline, Allison Johnson joins Will to figure out whether the iPhone's new Camera Control is really as fast as advertised.Further reading: Sam Altman: The Intelligence Age Dario Amodei: Machines of Loving Grace Anthropic’s CEO thinks AI will lead to a utopia — he just needs a few billion dollars first OpenAI plans Orion AI model release for December ShakeAlert If you live on the West Coast and you have an iPhone, here's how to turn on the "Local Awareness" feature that speeds up WEA messages: Download the MyShake app on for iOS or for Android Ready.gov's earthquake advice: About emergency and government alerts on iPhone Apple iPhone 16 and 16 Plus review: all caught up 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nilay, David, and Richard Lawler talk about all of the coming Apple gadgets and software, from the new iPad Mini to the upcoming week of Mac announcements to the many flavors of iOS and Apple Intelligence heading to a device near you soon. Then they talk about the other news in AI, from Anthropic's new computer-using model to the growing set of lawsuits against AI companies. In the lightning round, they discuss the Boox Palma 2, T-Mobile's "lifetime" deals, and the battle over FTC's click-to-cancel rule.Further reading: Apple iPad Mini 2024 review: missing pieces iOS 18.2 will let everyone set new default phone and messaging apps Apple’s first iOS 18.2 beta adds more AI features and ChatGPT integration Apple teases ‘week’ of Mac announcements starting Monday Apple is preparing an M4 MacBook Air update for early next year Tim Cook says he uses every Apple product every day — how does that work? Tim Cook on Why Apple’s Huge Bets Will Pay Off Anthropic’s latest AI update can use a computer on its own Humane slashes the price of its AI Pin after weak sales Apple is ‘concerned’ about AI turning real photos into ‘fantasy’ News Corp sues Perplexity for ripping off WSJ and New York Post Kevin Bacon, Kate McKinnon, and other creatives warn of ‘unjust’ AI threat Industry groups are suing the FTC to stop its click to cancel rule The Boox Palma 2 has a faster processor and adds a fingerprint reader Seniors are PISSED that T-Mobile won’t honor its “lifetime” price guarantee. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Verge's Victoria Song joins the show to talk about her year of testing smart rings, and which of the many new options is the one you should buy. Then Chris Welch takes us through his testing of the new hearing health features for Apple's AirPods, including the surprisingly intense hearing test you can take right on your phone. Finally, Andrew Webster helps us answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline: why doesn't Apple buy Nintendo, and what would happen if it did?Further reading: We tested six smart rings, and there’s a clear winner Oura Ring 4 review: still on top — for now Apple’s AirPods Pro hearing health features are as good as they sound Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 could forever change how people access hearing aids Super Mario Run hands-on: like Mario, just simpler Microsoft’s Phil Spencer says acquiring Nintendo would be ‘a career moment’ 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the last eight months, David Cogen has been living a double life. By day: a YouTuber and creator, the face of the TheUnlockr channel, reviewing phones and testing ebikes and explaining how food smokers really work. By night and morning and every single other available in-between moment: a coffee shop entrepreneur, working to get a Brooklyn spot called Coffee Check up and running. In this episode, the second in the two-part miniseries that we’re calling How To Make It In The Future, Cogen tells the story of how a YouTuber becomes a coffee shop owner — and how to bring those two things together without ruining them both.Further reading: TheUnlockr on YouTube David’s Coffee Check announcement Coffee Check’s website Another fun YouTuber story: Me, Myself, and iJustine 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nilay and David talk about the week in gadget news, after scoring their predictions on last week's Tesla event. (Spoiler alert: nobody did very well.) They talk about the new iPad Mini, the new Sonos Ace Ultra soundbar, and the new Analogue N64 emulator. Then Amazon's Panos Panay joins the show to discuss this week's big Kindle news, and where he thinks the future of e-readers is headed. Finally, Nilay and David do a lightning round, with a lot of Google org chart news and just a little bit of Trump news.Further reading: The Optimus robots at Tesla’s Cybercab event were humans in disguise The Tesla Cybercab is a cool-looking prototype that needed to be much more than that Tesla’s Robovan is the surprise of the night Apple just announced a new, faster iPad Mini  AMD and Intel are teaming up to fend off ARM chips Sonos announces ‘breakthrough’ Arc Ultra soundbar and Sub 4  Analogue’s 4K Nintendo 64 launches next year for $249 Amazon’s new Kindle family includes the first color Kindle Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition hands-on: color E Ink looks pretty good Amazon Kindle Scribe 2024: a new design and AI tools for note takers Amazon’s new Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite are faster and brighter Amazon discontinues the last Kindle with physical buttons  Google is replacing the exec in charge of Search and ads Here’s a bunch of bananas shit Trump said today about breaking up Google Trump says Tim Cook called him to complain about the European Union Anthropic’s CEO thinks AI will lead to a utopia — he just needs a few billion dollars first  The New York Times warns AI search engine Perplexity to stop using its content 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before a podcast was a “podcast,” it was… well, it wasn’t really much of anything. It was in 2004, though, that many of the earliest names in on-demand audio began to smush “iPod” and “broadcast” into the word we’ve come to know as the way we all download and listen to shows now. In this episode, we go back two decades to the first days of the podcast. Then we hit the skip button to today and look at where podcasts are headed next.Further reading: From PodNews: The history of the word 'Podcast' From The Guardian: Audible revolution From Wired: The First Podcast: an Oral History From The New York Times: An MTV Host Moves to Radio, Giving Voice to Audible Blogs 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Danny and Steven Sanicki are twins, competitive golfers, and suddenly the biggest names in online mini golf. They started making mini golf content on TikTok about a year ago, and it took off; since then they've been trying to ride the viral wave and also turn it into something that lasts. For this episode, the first in a miniseries we're calling How To Make It In The Future, we talk to the Sanickis about their journey to turn putt-putt into their life's work — without killing the fun in the process.Further reading: @dannysanicki on TikTok Twin Tour Golf on Instagram Twin Tour Golf on YouTube From Golf Digest: How college golf twins and some friends with time to kill accidentally created a viral mini-golf sensation 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nilay and David make some predictions about Thursday evening’s Tesla event — which you’ve already seen, but we haven’t! Then they talk about the week’s gadget news, from Nintendo’s new Alarmo alarm clock to Apple’s upcoming iPads and Macs. Then Lauren Feiner joins to talk about the latest on all fronts in Google’s antitrust fight, and how the government might be planning to break up the company altogether. Then it’s time for a lightning round about Google Docs tabs, FEMA misinformation, and Zoom AI avatars.Further reading: The bill finally comes due for Elon Musk In the past week, 4 of Elon Musk's direct reports have announced their exits from Tesla All the buzz about Nintendo’s Alarmo clock I totally forgot we wrote about Nintendo’s sleep tracking alarm clock 10 years ago. Nintendo’s original alarm clock prototypes were a lot less playful A closer look at Nintendo’s adorable Alarmo clock Shrunken Mac Minis and a new iPad Mini might come in November Apple’s Vision Pro leader, Dan Riccio, is retiring A Google breakup is on the table, say DOJ lawyers How the DOJ wants to break up Google’s search monopoly Google must crack open Android for third-party stores, rules Epic judge The filing: Microsoft Word - FINAL - Google Remedy Framework Google’s response: DOJ’s radical and sweeping proposals risk hurting consumers, businesses, and developers Google Docs is making it much easier to organize information Zoom will let AI avatars talk to your team for you - The Verge Hurricane Milton hits tonight, and it’s past the point of evacuation. Creators are still there. Instagram and Threads moderation is out of control - The Verge FEMA adds misinformation to its list of disasters to clean up 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For this full-on “what is a photo” episode, we start by chatting with Halide developers Ben Sandofsky and Sebastiaan De With about what it means to build a camera app in 2024 — and what it means to try and accurately capture a photo. Then The Verge’s Allison Johnson joins the show to talk about her experiment going all-in on AI-ifying her photos. Finally, we answer a hotline about which gadgets to attach to your head when you go for a run.Further reading: Halide Halide’s Process Zero feature captures photos with no AI processing Let’s compare Apple, Google, and Samsung’s definitions of ‘a photo’ No one’s ready for this Google’s AI tool helped us add disasters and corpses to our photos The AI photo editing era is hare, and it’s every person for themselves This system can sort real pictures from AI fakes — why aren’t platforms using it? 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nilay, Alex, and David discuss Microsoft's new Copilot announcements, and the friendlier face the company is trying to put on its chatbot. They also wonder: what, exactly, is an AI companion supposed to do for you, and how is it supposed to do it? They then dive into OpenAI's huge funding round, before exploring all the new gadgets of the week and some deep drama in the WordPress universe. Finally, it's time for a lightning round of news about Dish and DirecTV, Progressive Web Apps, and Nintendo's fight against emulation. We also send off Alex, our sadly departing co-host, with cake and Plex servers.Further reading: Microsoft gives Copilot a voice and vision in its biggest redesign yet Read Microsoft’s optimistic memo about the future of AI companions Shh, ChatGPT. That’s a Secret. - The Atlantic College students used Meta’s smart glasses to dox people in real time Sonos has a plan to earn back your trust, and here it is Chromebooks are getting a new button dedicated to Google’s AI Microsoft is discontinuing its HoloLens headsets Google’s Pixel Buds are now fully supported on Windows and macOS. Automattic demanded a cut of WP Engine’s revenue before starting WordPress battle DirecTV and Dish are merging Nintendo has reportedly shut down Ryujinx, the Switch emulator that was supposedly immune 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices