

Material
Relay
Material is a weekly discussion about the Google and Android universe. Your intrepid hosts try to answer the question, “What holds up the digital world?” The answer, so far, is that it’s Google all the way down. Hosted by Andy Ihnatko and Florence Ion.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 10, 2023 • 1h 15min
402: Reading the Tea Leaves
YouTube has a new CEO, so we officially say goodbye to Susan Wojcicki and the legacy left behind. Google also revealed when Google I/O 2023 will take place. And Disney thinks it's cheeky putting Baby Yoda into search.
Links and Show Notes:
Susan Wojcicki, YouTube’s Longtime CEO, Says She Will Step Down
A personal update from Susan
Google I/O 2023 will be on May 10
Google teases I/O 2023 with literal input/output puzzle
Google’s Latest Peek at Android 14 Shows Off iOS-Style Security Features
Grogu Fights Google Via Search Engine Easter Egg
Flo's Discord
Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Mar 3, 2023 • 1h 12min
401: Super Quick Charging
Flo and Andy break down the weirdest and whackiest bits from this week's Mobile World Congress, including folding smartphones and ones that charge too fast. We're not too sure about the Motorola Rizr with a rollable display. Nokia has a budget-priced easy-to-repair smartphone in the U.K., the Pixel Watch finally has fall detection, and Google introduced new widgets this week for Keep.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Rocket Money: Cancel unwanted subscriptions and manage your expenses.
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
Links and Show Notes:
Chinese startup Realme launches $649 smartphone it says can be fully charged in just over 9 minutes
Thought 240W was fast? Redmi now has 300W charging tech!
OnePlus 11 Concept brings water cooling to a phone, with questionable results
Motorola’s Rizr is back as a concept phone with a rollable screen
HMD's latest Nokia phone is designed to be repaired in minutes
Google Starts Rolling Out Fall Detection to the Pixel Watch
Magic Eraser plus more Google Photos features coming to Google One
Spring into action with these 9 new features for Android and Wear OS
Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Feb 24, 2023 • 1h 18min
400: Ash Wednesday
We didn't expect this episode to be so religious, but what else did you expect from our 400th episode? We're celebrating our podcast about Google just as a recent ex-Googler spills the I-just-quit tea to everyone willing to read.
Links and Show Notes:
Our 400th episode anniversary cake
The maze is in the mouse. What ails Google. And how it can turn…
Why Did I Leave Google Or, Why Did I Stay So Long?
Flo's Discord
Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Feb 17, 2023 • 57min
399: The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Google's chatbot hasn't been officially released, and yet it's delivering a cornucopia of interesting tidbits. Flo is still out this week, so consider this part two of Andy catching you up on how Google is scrambling to join the AI race.
Links and Show Notes:
Alphabet Chairman John Hennessy explains why Google was hesitant to put out its ChatGPT competitor
Leaked memo shows Google CEO Sundar Pichai is asking staffers for help testing its Bard AI chatbot
Google's CEO Tells Staff to Spend Hours Working Out 'Bard' AI Kinks
AI-powered Bing Chat loses its mind when fed Ars Technica article
Users Report Microsoft's 'Unhinged' Bing AI Is Lying, Berating Them
The maze is in the mouse. What ails Google. And how it can turn…
Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Feb 15, 2023 • 1h 44min
398: Late to the Game
This week's podcast is a beautiful primer on everything that's been going on with Google lately, and you'll want to tune in if you wonder why everyone's scratching their heads at the company lately. Andy will walk you through Google's latest earnings call, including where it's making money and losing it. Plus, what that AI-based event in Paris was all about, and why Google employees aren't too thrilled with Bard, the so-called ChatGPT competitor.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Rocket Money: Cancel unwanted subscriptions and manage your expenses.
Issuu: Get started with Issuu today for FREE or sign up for an annual premium account and get 50% off
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
Links and Show Notes:
Alphabet misses on earnings and revenue as YouTube falls short
Google presents: Live from Paris
In Paris demo, Google scrambles to counter ChatGPT but ends up embarrassing itself
Google ChatGPT Rival Bard Flubs Fact About NASA's Webb Space Telescope
Google employees criticize CEO Sundar Pichai for 'rushed, botched' announcement of GPT competitor Bard
Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Feb 6, 2023 • 1h 16min
397: Gauche
It's been a week. We'll recap everything we saw at Samsung Unpacked and then some. We'll talk about the new SmartThings Station, why Flo's smart home is a mess, and why the Galaxy S23 Ultra is kind of boring. Then, why Google is shaking in its bones about ChatGPT and what it plans to do to outrun it.
Links and Show Notes:
Samsung Unveils SmartThings Station at CES 2023, Making Smarter Homes Accessible for Everyone
Everything Samsung Announced at Galaxy Unpacked 2023
Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra Has the Ultimate Smartphone Camera Lens
Where’s the Galaxy S23’s satellite connectivity, Samsung?
Google is asking employees to test potential ChatGPT competitors, including a chatbot called 'Apprentice Bard'
Google is holding an event about search and AI on February 8th
Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Jan 27, 2023 • 55min
396: Google's Horrible, No Good Week
Yet again, Flo is out sick this week. But thankfully, we have Andy to hold down the fort and explain why it's been an alarming week for Google. First, there were massive layoffs, with news that resonated through the zeitgeist. And then, the US Department of Justice came down with the antitrust banhammer. What will happen to Google next?
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Issuu: Get started with Issuu today for FREE or sign up for an annual premium account and get 50% off
Links and Show Notes:
Google parent Alphabet is slashing 12,000 jobs: Sundar Pichai emails staff saying he takes ‘full responsibility for the decisions that led us here’
A difficult decision to set us up for the future
Google CEO defends job cuts in animated town hall as employees demand clarity on process
A major Alphabet investor said the company should cut even more jobs and address 'excessive' pay in the wake of mass layoffs
DOJ files second antitrust suit against Google, seeks to break up its ad business
Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Jan 20, 2023 • 1h 7min
395: Society's Challenges
Andy and Flo catch up before discussing the not-so-wild rumor that Google is working on its version of Apple's AirTag tracking mechanism. Then, why is Google pushing its work in AI so hard this week? Does the company doth press release too much? We'll also discuss why the Google Podcasts app may not be long for this world--or at least its integration into search results.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Rocket Money: Cancel unwanted subscriptions and manage your expenses.
Links and Show Notes:
Google reportedly working on 'Grogu' tracker to compete with Apple's AirTags
Why we focus on AI (and to what end)
7 ways Google is using AI to help solve society's challenges
Google Research, 2022 & Beyond: Language, Vision and Generative Models
Google Podcasts disappears from Google Search
Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Jan 13, 2023 • 1h 9min
394: The Mess After CES
Your co-hosts pull it together to bring you a super-sized episode about CES 2023. What did Flo see, touch, hear, and feel? A bit too much all at once, as CES is absolute sensory overload. But in the midst of it was some noteworthy news about satellite connectivity coming to Android smartphones, Google's services in the car, and a giant tablet that should reconsider life as a Chromebook.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Issuu: Get started with Issuu today for FREE or sign up for an annual premium account and get 50% off
Links and Show Notes:
Here's your up-close and personal look at Google's Android experience at CES
Android at CES 2023: New cross-device experiences and our approach to better together
Android getting Spotify Connect support in media switcher and cross-device switching
Google shows how the Pixel Watch can securely keep your smartphone unlocked
Android Auto's Makeover Is Now Available for Everyone
BMW won't use Google apps when it transitions to Android Automotive next year
Qualcomm to Roll Out Satellite Connectivity for Android Devices Later This Year
Matter Smart Home Devices Dominated CES This Year
Lenovo's ThinkPad Phone, the ThinkPhone, Is Making Me Like Motorola Again
Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Jan 7, 2023 • 48min
393: Bing Certainly Tries
Microsoft is coming after Google by infusing Bing with ChatGPT—should Google be concerned? Then, Big Tech had massive layoffs this week while folks were down in Vegas checking out new gadgets. Will that include Google, too? Andy will also walk you through January's Pixel security update.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Rocket Money: Cancel unwanted subscriptions and manage your expenses.
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
Links and Show Notes:
Microsoft's Bing search has big ChatGPT plans
Tech Layoffs Continue With Cuts At Salesforce, Amazon And Maybe Even Google
Google is rolling out the January security patch to supported Pixel phones
Support Material with a Relay FM Membership


