The Vergecast: Ad-Free Edition

The DoorDash problem just became Amazon's problem. Perplexity's Comet browser is allegedly stealthily shopping on the internet's largest mall, and the folks in Seattle want it to stop. It's just one example of the fast-moving power dynamics on the internet, as AI companies try to change the way we search, shop, and do everything else. Lots of companies are not going to settle for being dumb databases, and Nilay and David discuss how this fight might play out. After that, the hosts talk about the reports of an impending cheaper Mac with an iPhone chip, and whether that might mark Apple's true return to consumer laptops — or be something else entirely. Finally, in the lightning round, they talk Brendan Carr, late-night shows, party speakers, and sonic logos. Lots and lots of sonic logos. Further reading: ⁠Amazon and Perplexity have kicked off the great AI web browser fight ⁠ ⁠WEB WAR III ⁠ ⁠Apple is planning to use a custom version of Google Gemini for Apple Intelligence ⁠ ⁠OpenAI launches its Sora app on Android ⁠ ⁠Perplexity is going to power AI search in Snapchat⁠⁠. ⁠ ⁠Easier access to AI Mode, if that’s your thing. ⁠ ⁠Google Gemini’s Deep Research can look into your emails, drive, and chats⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠Google Maps taps Gemini AI to transform into an ‘all-knowing copilot’ ⁠ ⁠Amazon is building Alexa Plus into its Music app ⁠ ⁠The AI industry is running on FOMO ⁠ ⁠Apple is reportedly working on a cheaper Mac laptop with an iPhone chip⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠iOS 26.1 lets you tweak Liquid Glass, and it’s out now ⁠ ⁠YouTube wants a piece of the late-night TV pie. ⁠ ⁠Apple TV’s new name now comes with a new sound ⁠ ⁠Brendan Carr votes to eliminate cybersecurity requirements⁠ ⁠Epic and Google agree to settle their lawsuit and change Android’s fate globally ⁠ ⁠I’m amused by how Google is complying with the Epic injunction. ⁠ ⁠xAI used employee biometric data to train Elon Musk’s AI girlfriend ⁠ ⁠Into the Huluverse: The sonic evolution of Hulu⁠ Thank you for subscribing to The Verge. 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 at The Vergecast, we get a lot of questions. Questions from you, which we love! Questions that, for some reason, often tend to be about the smart home and why it's often not so very smart. So on this episode, the first in a two-part series, The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy helps us answer a whole bunch of your questions. Questions like: what's Apple's deal with the smart home? Are there any good smart faucets? And what's about to happen to my robot vacuum cleaner? Jen helps us wade through all that and more. We also go on a long diversion about smart smoke detectors, which are pretty awesome. Further reading: ⁠My smart kitchen: the good, the bad, and the future⁠ ⁠Moen’s Smart Faucet with Motion Control is totally hands free, and works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant⁠ ⁠The future of the Roomba, and the best robot vacuums⁠ ⁠This smart smoke alarm could be a worthy Nest Protect replacement⁠ ⁠Home Assistant’s next era begins now⁠ ⁠Apple’s plan for AI could make Siri the animated center of your smart home⁠ ⁠What’s in a smart home reviewer’s backyard⁠ ⁠How Matter works, where it’s headed, and why it matters⁠ ⁠The problems with AI in the smart home and how Amazon and Google plan to fix them⁠ Thank you for subscribing to The Verge. 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

In 2006, Microsoft came for the iPod's throne with an innovative MP3 player called the Zune. It had a bunch of features the iPod didn't: WiFi, music sharing, a bigger screen, a beautiful UI, even an FM radio. And to hear Microsoft describe it, it was even kind of a social network. Nilay Patel and Victoria Song join David Pierce to break down why, despite all that, the Zune never really took off. And why it came in brown. If you like the show, ⁠⁠⁠subscribe to the Version History feed⁠⁠⁠ to make sure you get every new episode. Thank you for subscribing to The Verge. 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

 If you want to understand the full spectrum of AI software, from "straightforward problem-solving tool" to "never-ending slop machine," all you need to do is pay attention to everything Adobe launched at its conference this week. David and Nilay run through the news, which will change how people use Photoshop but also maybe change our social feeds forever. After that, they talk about OpenAI's conversion to a for-profit business, and specifically the truly wild way OpenAI and Microsoft talk about the future of AGI. Finally, in the lightning round, they discuss Brendan Carr, Cybertrucks, the Trump Phone, Ghost Posts, and more. Help us improve The Verge: Take our quick survey at ⁠theverge.com/survey⁠. Further reading: ⁠⁠Photoshop and Premiere Pro’s new AI tools can instantly edit your work ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠You can tell Adobe Express’s new AI assistant to edit designs for you⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Adobe’s AI social media admin is here with ‘Project Moonlight’ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Mark Zuckerberg is excited to add more AI content to all your social feeds⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg defends AI spend: 'We're seeing the returns'⁠⁠ ⁠⁠OpenAI completed its for-profit restructuring — and struck a new deal with Microsoft ⁠⁠  ⁠⁠The next chapter of the Microsoft–OpenAI partnership⁠⁠ ⁠⁠OpenAI lays groundwork for juggernaut IPO at up to $1 trillion valuation | Reuters⁠⁠ ⁠⁠OpenAI has an AGI problem — and Microsoft just made it worse ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠OpenAI made ChatGPT better at sifting through your work information ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Sam, Jakub, and Wojciech on the future of OpenAI with audience Q&A⁠⁠ ⁠⁠The Kingmaker | WIRED⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Congratulations to the Tesla Cybertruck on its 10th recall.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Trump℠ Mobile | All-American Performance. Everyday Price. $47.45/Month⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Threads is getting disappearing posts ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Ads will arrive on Samsung Family Hub smart fridges next month. ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠The FCC is going after broadband nutrition labels. ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Brendan Carr is a Dummy⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bending Spoons is buying AOL for some reason ⁠⁠ ⁠Thank you for subscribing to The Verge. 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

Meta's smart glasses have been a hit in part because they don't try to do too much. With the new Display glasses, though, Meta is trying to do... a lot more. The Verge's Victoria Song joins the show to tell us about her experience with the glasses, from the impressive but very first-gen hardware to the somewhat underwhelming set of things you can do. After that, podcaster and creator Stephen Robles explains to David why he's dead wrong about Apple Shortcuts. Stephen shares how he uses Shortcuts, why he's found such a big audience of Shortcuts fans on YouTube and elsewhere, and why it's worth doing the work to learn Apple's most powerful app. Finally, David answers a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email ⁠vergecast@theverge.com⁠!) about which wireless earbuds you should buy — and why it might be the pair you already own. Help us improve The Verge: Take our quick survey at ⁠theverge.com/survey⁠. Further reading: The future I saw through the Meta Ray-Ban Display amazes and terrifies me I regret to inform you Meta’s new smart glasses are the best I’ve ever tried The smart glasses race is really on now Stephen Robles' YouTube channel Thank you for subscribing to The Verge. 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

Millions of basements have fake plastic guitars in them thanks to the 2005 smash hit Guitar Hero. Chris Grant and Ash Parrish join David Pierce to rock out with a game created over a matter of months by a niche developer and a peripheral manufacturer, fueled by word-of-mouth and viral videos on a nascent YouTube. You probably don’t play Guitar Hero anymore, but you might still find it in surprising places. If you like the show, ⁠subscribe to the Version History feed⁠⁠ to make sure you get every new episode. Let us know what you think: 866-VERGE-11 or vergecast@theverge.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The era of the AI browser is here, and OpenAI is finally in the game. Nilay, Jake, and Hayden sit down to chat about what it means to have ChatGPT in your browser and able to control your cursor and surf the web for you. Also this week: Nilay's warning about using old surge protectors, the devastating and inevitable outcome of the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition, and Samsung's Galaxy XR headset, which looks a lot like a Vision Pro. Finally, Brendan Carr Is A Dummy makes its triumphant return. And we wrap it all up with the Lightning Round, talking about the the Friend protest, GM's decision to ditch CarPlay, the AWS outage, the future of the Xbox, and more. Help us improve The Verge: Take our quick survey at ⁠theverge.com/survey⁠. Further reading: ⁠OpenAI’s AI-powered browser, ChatGPT Atlas, is here⁠ ⁠The ChatGPT Atlas browser still feels like Googling with extra steps⁠ ⁠OpenAI teases a string of updates for its AI-powered browser, ChatGPT Atlas⁠ ⁠Opera’s Neon shows just how confusing AI browsers still are⁠ ⁠Perplexity’s Comet browser is now available to everyone for free⁠ ⁠Google is expanding Gemini in Chrome and letting it do stuff for you⁠ ⁠Reddit sues Perplexity for allegedly ripping its content to feed AI⁠ ⁠The Dia browser is a big bet on the web — and an even bigger bet on AI⁠ ⁠OpenAI’s latest legal request is raising eyebrows⁠ ⁠Meta is axing 600 roles across its AI division | The Verge⁠ ⁠Warner Bros. Discovery is ready for a sale⁠ ⁠WBD already rejected three offers from Paramount Skydance⁠,  ⁠Netflix, Amazon, and Apple are reportedly interested in buying Warner Bros.⁠ ⁠HBO Max is raising prices for the third year in a row⁠ ⁠Hulu with Live TV now costs $90 monthly but you can lock in $65 for three months⁠ ⁠Apple TV will be the only place to watch F1 in the US, starting next ⁠⁠year⁠ ⁠Samsung Galaxy XR hands-on: It’s like a cheaper Apple Vision Pro and launches today⁠ ⁠The future I saw through the Meta Ray-Ban Display amazes and terrifies me⁠ ⁠These Oakley smart glasses are perfect for weekend warriors and T-ball coaches⁠ ⁠The Friend AI pendant’s creator publicized a ‘Friend protest’ in NYC⁠ ⁠These nonprofits lobbied to regulate OpenAI — then the subpoenas came⁠ ⁠Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay⁠ ⁠Did Microsoft just tease that the next Xbox is a PC and console?⁠ ⁠Major AWS outage took down Fortnite, Alexa, Snapchat, and more⁠ ⁠Pitchfork is beta testing user reviews and comments as it approaches 30⁠ Thank you for subscribing to The Verge. 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're very bullish on the handheld future of gaming. But we're not bullish on the new ROG Xbox Ally. The Verge's Sean Hollister joins the show to explain why this Xbox-branded device barely feels like an Xbox, and why it's definitely not a threat to the Steam Deck, before he and David debate whether the future of Xbox is even in good hands. After that, The Verge's Hayden Field walks David through a couple of important recent studies, asking the same basic question: is AI making us dumb? Finally, Sean returns to answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email ⁠vergecast@theverge.com⁠!) about hybrid computers, which are an extremely 2012 idea and also maybe the future of computing. But probably not. Help us improve The Verge: Take our quick survey at ⁠theverge.com/survey⁠. Further reading: ⁠Xbox Ally and Ally X review: this is not an Xbox⁠ ⁠Prongs rock⁠ ⁠MIT: Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task⁠ ⁠How chatbots — and their makers — are enabling AI psychosis⁠ ⁠Sam Altman says ChatGPT will stop talking about suicide with teens⁠ ⁠Some doctors got worse at detecting cancer after relying on AI⁠ Microsoft Research: The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers Thank you for subscribing to The Verge. 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

1982's coolest gadget was the Sony Watchman portable TV. Decades before everyone was glued to YouTube on their smartphones, the Watchman popularized the concept of video on the go. In the early days of the personal-tech revolution, you’d find the Watchman antennas up everywhere from the church pew to the baseball bleacher. Victoria Song and Allison Johnson join David Pierce to dive into the engineering feat that made the first Watchman possible. If you like the show, ⁠⁠subscribe to the Version History feed⁠⁠ to make sure you get every new episode. Thank you for subscribing to The Verge. 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

Nilay’s back! And you can listen to The Vergecast with no ads, if you’re a Verge subscriber! Big week, really. Nilay and David start the show by talking about ads, podcasts, platforms, and subscriptions. Then they talk a bunch about Apple’s new M5-powered MacBook, iPad, and Vision Pro, and whether a chip bump is worth getting excited about. After that, Nilay reflects on a summer of using AI products, and explains why you can tell the whole story of this generation of AI just by talking about the smart home. Finally, in the lightning round, the hosts talk about AI song covers, Apple TV, TiVo, Roku, Cybertrucks, and the exploding Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Help us improve The Verge: Take our quick survey at theverge.com/survey. Further reading: ⁠Ad-free Verge podcasts have arrived⁠ ⁠Netflix is making a big bet on video podcasts⁠ ⁠Apple’s 2025 iPad Pro comes with an M5 chip inside ⁠ ⁠Apple just upgraded the Vision Pro with an M5 chip and new strap ⁠ ⁠Apple’s 14-inch MacBook Pro gets an M5 chip bump and faster storage ⁠ ⁠Logitech made an Apple Pencil-like stylus for the Vision Pro ⁠ ⁠Apple’s rumored smart home display hub might start at $350 ⁠ ⁠Samsung officially teases Moohan headset launch for next week ⁠ ⁠Apple’s future smart glasses could have two separate UIs. ⁠ ⁠ChatGPT will soon help you shop at Walmart. ⁠ ⁠How OpenAI plans to make all its money. ⁠ ⁠Microsoft wants you to talk to your PC and let AI control it ⁠  ⁠As Microsoft bids farewell to Windows 10, millions of users won’t ⁠ ⁠Spotify says it’s working with labels on ‘responsible’ AI music tools ⁠ ⁠DirecTV will soon bring AI ads to your screensaver ⁠ ⁠OpenAI partners with Broadcom to produce its own AI chips ⁠ ⁠Sam Altman says ChatGPT will soon sext with verified adults ⁠ ⁠Apple TV Plus is being rebranded to… Apple TV ⁠ ⁠Apple exec on Apple TV rebranding: ‘let’s just do it’⁠ ⁠Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first to ‘go up in smoke during a bend test,’ JerryRigEverything says⁠ ⁠Roku’s AI-upgraded voice assistant can answer questions about what you’re watching ⁠ ⁠DirecTV will soon bring AI ads to your screensaver ⁠ ⁠Soul Against the Machine⁠ ⁠TiVo has sold its last DVR ⁠ ⁠Tesla Cybertruck sales are flatlining ⁠ Thank you for subscribing to The Verge. 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