The Vergecast: Ad-Free Edition

David Pierce taps into The Verge's reviews team to explore where we're headed with smart home gadgets, wearables, and midrange phones.01:56 - Verge smart home reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy comes back to the show to break down the news of Amazon acquiring iRobot, maker of the ever popular Roomba robot vacuum.24:46 - Verge wearable tech reviewer Victoria Song joins David to explore the fascinating world of non-watch wearables: rings, earbuds, sports bras, and sleep trackers. Afterward, we hear from Whoop CEO Will Ahmed about his approach to wearable technology.53:40 - Verge mobile reviewer Allison Johnson and David discuss the ideal version of a mid-range smartphone, and what are the best trade-offs for the price.Further reading: Amazon to acquire Roomba robot vacuum maker iRobot for $1.7 billion Amazon bought iRobot to see inside your home The best sleep tech you can buy right now Whoop 4.0 Review Oura Ring Gen 3 Review Google Pixel 6a review: midrange parts, Tensor smarts Apple's new iPhone SE is a modern phone stuck in yesterday's design Apple should have followed Google’s Pixel 6A playbook with the iPhone SE OnePlus 10T review: call it a comeback Nothing Phone 1 review: something else Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Verge's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, and David Pierce discuss this week in tech news — including what's happening with HBO Max, Apple iPad rumors, some handheld gaming updates, and this week in EVs.Further reading: Apple might remove the headphone jack from its next entry-level iPad Apple might delay iPadOS 16 launch Apple says Mac sales are getting hit hard by supply constraints  OnePlus 10T review: call it a comeback OnePlus’ 10T launch was a weird return to in-person events The Pixel 6A is getting an immediate update to make sure it’s moddable Logitech announces a new dedicated cloud gaming handheld device Nintendo reports Switch sales dip as chip shortage continues to bite The Orion looks like if Kirby swallowed your Switch    The megamerger killed Batgirl HBO Max might get maimed  A TikTok Music app could challenge Spotify and Apple Roku has a problem — its buttons aren’t printing enough money Lucid Motors will barely make any EVs this year as it slashes production goals again Tesla is the latest company to be drawn into the Elon Musk-Twitter legal mess Forget those Tesla crashes: GM says you can trust its autonomous vehicles GM’s Super Cruise will cover 400,000 miles of roads in North America, doubling coverage Twitter v. Elon Musk trial date set to start October 17th Google Meet meets Duo Meet, with Meet in Duo but Duo isn’t going into Meet A mysterious battery-powered Google device appears in FCC filings Sony InZone M9 review: impressive but flawed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Pierce hosts a special "work from anywhere" episode of The Vergecast while he is on vacation.02:33 - CEO of Rove Jonah Hanig chats about his approach work-friendly travel. Reflect's Alex MacCaw shares his experience working from a sailboat in the middle of the ocean.17:12 - Verge deputy editor Thomas Ricker talks about his review of the Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Pro, as well as his experience of working remotely in Europe.36:28 - Verge policy editor Russell Brandom and senior reporter Loren Grush discuss the state of using satellites like Starlink to access the internet in rural areas.Further reading: Starlink’s Dishy McFlatface internet now available for Boaty McBoatfaces — just $5,000 per month Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Pro review: letting flex-workers flex Starlink RV review: the dawn of space internet to go Ventje VW Campervan review: 'work from home' from anywhere How Starlink and other satellite services are changing the shape of the internet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Verge's Nilay Patel, David Pierce. and Alex Cranz discuss the quarterly tech earnings from Apple, Microsoft, Spotify, and more. Further reading: Meta and Apple in ‘deep’ competition to build the metaverse, Zuckerberg tells staff Yes, it’s weird for the two-year-old Meta Quest 2 to go up in price Meta might let anti-vax posts back onto Facebook and Instagram  Instagram walks back its changes Microsoft Q4 2022 earnings: Windows and Xbox fall in $51.9 billion quarter Meta reports revenue decline for the first time in Q2 earnings Here’s where to buy the Meta Quest 2 before it costs $100 more Alphabet Q2 2022 earnings show profits dropped compared to last year Comcast’s broadband business stopped growing for the first time ever Spotify’s subscribers rise to 188M amid podcasting setbacks Spotify amps up fiction podcasts with new leader of scripted content Spotify paid $123 million for audiobook company Findaway Spotify has stopped making its Car Thing dashboard accessory Apple’s latest iOS 16 beta ensures you can’t hide your mistakes with an edit Apple’s new Home app in iOS 16 is better but still half-baked SpaceX says Dish’s 5G plan would be ‘detrimental’ to millions of Starlink users You can re-watch Game of Thrones in 4K on HBO Max next month President Biden’s awesome video conferencing setup starts with a $7,000 Zoom gadget Asus’ compact Zenfone 9 comes with incredible gimbal-like camera stabilization Email us at vergecast@theverge.com, we'd love to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

02:30 - The Verge's David Pierce talks with deputy editor Alex Heath about how Meta is pivoting Facebook and Instagram away from your friends and more towards short form video from creators. Mark Zuckerberg braces Meta employees for 'intense period' Facebook is changing its algorithm to take on TikTok, leaked memo reveals Adam Mosseri confirms it: Instagram is over Instagram is making almost all videos Reels and will show them to way more people Facebook doubles down on algorithms in the main feed Facebook puts news on the back burner as it continues to push video and creators Listen to Land of the Giants: The Facebook / Meta Disruption 24:04 - Casey Newton chats with David about the social media app BeReal, and whether it's able to succeed among social media titans.Why BeReal is breaking out40:55 - The Vergecast Hotline is back! Experts at The Verge answer your tech questions.Call our Vergecast Hotline at 866-VERGE11 (866-837-4311). Email us at vergecast@theverge.com, we'd love to hear from you.Find us on Twitter:Alex Heath is @alexeheathCasey Newton is @caseynewtonMonica Chin is @mcsquared96Dan Seifert is @dcseifertBecca Farsace is @BeccaFarsaceDavid Pierce is @pierce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Verge's Nilay Patel, David Pierce, and Alex Cranz run discuss Tesla earnings, Netflix's next move, and an upgrade to smart home standard Thread.Further reading: Tesla’s run of record quarterly deliveries comes to an end thanks to China’s COVID shutdowns Elon Musk now says Tesla could start Cybertruck deliveries in mid-2023 Tesla sold 75 percent of its Bitcoin BMW starts selling heated seat subscriptions for $18 a month  The First-Ever Blazer EV: Electric SUV | Chevrolet  BMW Wants to Charge for Heated Seats. These Grey Market Hackers Will Fix That. 75 Percent of Car Buyers Don't Want Features Locked Behind Subscriptions Netflix’s CEO is ready for TV to die Netflix subscriber count in the US and Canada dropped by 1.3 million over the last three months  Netflix's ad-supported tier won't have everything at launch Netflix is partnering with Microsoft for its new ad-supported tier Netflix's latest anti-password sharing test lets users 'buy' additional homes  Amazon is giving Prime Video its biggest redesign in years Eve’s new motion sensor is the first with Thread Amazon says Matter will make Alexa smarter If you have one of these Thread border routers, your smart home will be Matter-ready  Samsung’s August 10th Unpacked will definitely feature at least one foldable Samsung confirms August 10th Unpacked event date with ‘cryptic’ puzzle  Google Pixel 6A review: midrange parts, Tensor smarts  Google’s prototype augmented reality glasses are going outside Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover trial set to start in October Apple will settle butterfly keyboard lawsuit for $50 million Internal documents show Facebook and Google discussing platform strategies The new Google Wallet is now available to all users Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

02:30 - The Verge's David Pierce talks with tech reporter Mitchell Clark about what it took to get service from Project Genesis and they conclude a FOIA may be the only way to get the facts.I became a Dish influencer to get a 5G NFT20:21- David talks with senior policy reporter Makena Kelly about US lawmakers suddenly discovering that VPNs are a thing that exists and that they aren't very honest about their business practices.Lawmakers push FTC to clean up the VPN industry41:50 - And finally, reviews editor Allison Johnson and news reporter Jon Porter go deep on Nothing Phone — our review, the hype leading up to its launch, and the reality of it now that we got our hands on it. Nothing Phone 1 Review Hot and Hyped: Inside the strange launch of the Nothing Phone 1 Email us at vergecast@theverge.com, we'd love to hear from you.Call our Vergecast Hotline! 866-VERGE11 (866-837-4311) Find us on Twitter:Mitchell Clark is @strawberrywellAlex Cranz is @alexhcranz   Makena Kelly is @kellymakenaJon Porter is @JonPortyAllison Johnson is @allisonjo1David Pierce is @pierce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

06:32 - The Verge's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, and David Pierce chat with deputy editor Dan Seifert about his review of Apple's M2 Macbook Air.34:45 - Verge senior correspondent Liz Lopatto joins the show to discuss the latest in the Elon Musk's Twitter battle.59:27 - The crew preview the beta software for macOS Ventura, iPadOS 16, and iOS 16.Further reading: Apple MacBook Air M2 (2022) review: a whole new Air-a Elon Musk officially tries to bail on buying Twitter Twitter says it’s going to sue Elon Musk for trying to back out of the deal Twitter tells employees not to tweet about Elon Musk deal Elon Musk proves he’s the wrong man to save the world iPadOS 16 preview: jack of all trades, master of some watchOS 9 preview: all about fitness and personalization  Hear me out: the new iOS 16 lock screens rule macOS Ventura preview: the march to continuity continues Nothing officially announces flashy Phone 1, starting at £399 There’s something familiar about the Nothing Phone 1  The Verge's Accessibility Week I became a Dish influencer to get a 5G NFT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last week, we put a call out to people on Twitter about our new Vergecast Hotline, a phone line we set up for anyone to leave a message about a tech-related question they may have — whether it’s how to find your next router, when Spotify HiFi is actually coming, how to track when all of your favorite shows have new episodes, or whatever — so we can answer them on The Vergecast.We plan to do this about once a month, so if you missed it, that number is 866-VERGE11 (866-837-4311). It’s still open, and you can call at any time.We have a ton of great questions already, so we picked out a few voicemails we liked for today’s episode. Our colleagues — Verge reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Hot Pod reporter Ariel Shapiro, Verge writer Cameron Faulkner, and managing editor Alex Cranz — help answer these questions on the show. You can hear that segment at around 31:00 in the episode.There’s a lot more in today’s episode as well. David starts the show with senior science reporter Loren Grush to chat about what it took to get those beautiful images from the James Webb Space Telescope we saw this week.In the middle of all of this, David spends some time on the show talking about YouTube TV — the video platform that is trying to make the cable bundle model work for streaming. Christian Oestlien, VP of product management at YouTube, talks about the goals for YouTube TV and its approach to bundling packages. You can listen to that segment around 20:44 in the episode.Email us at vergecast@theverge.com, we'd love to hear from you.Call our Vergecast Hotline! 866-VERGE11 (866-837-4311) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re sharing the trailer for the new season of Land of the Giants: The Facebook/ Meta Disruption.Our friends over a Recode along with The Verge explore how the social media juggernaut has arrived at this unprecedented moment of transition. Senior reporters Shirin Ghaffary of Recode and Alex Heath of The Verge speak with top Meta executives and some of its biggest critics and ask how the company has shaped our lives, and what lies ahead. Subscribe to Land of the Giants to get new episodes starting Wednesday, July 13th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices