How Apple lost control of the App Store

In this next episode of our Vergecast Solo Acts mini series, Ashley Esqueda talks with Alan Klein, the creator of the McRib Locator, a website that helps people track and submit where McDonald's BBQ pork sandwich is available in stores. Alan shares what drove him to make this free tool for people back in 2009, what he does with the data he's collected, what's next for the site after the McRib's "farewell tour" this past fall, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27 Feb 202338min

The Verge's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, T.C. Sottek, and Adi Robertson discuss the Supreme Court cases that could reshape the future of the internet. Later, Verge policy reporter Makena Kelly joins the show to discuss new charges against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. Further reading: The Supreme Court hears arguments for two cases that could reshape the future of the internet Thomas starts talking about pagers for some reason Google: it’s not helpful when states make their own decisions that affect us A Signal group is at the center of Bankman-Fried’s latest woes Spotify’s new AI-powered DJ builds and commentates on custom playlists Microsoft recruited Nintendo and Nvidia to help fight Sony over the Activision deal   Tesla announces new engineering headquarters in California Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Feb 20231h 15min

Today on the flagship podcast of not-yet-announced Sonos speakers: Adi Robertson and Sean Hollister discuss their review of the PSVR2, and how it ranks among the other VR options today, along with its predecessor.  PSVR 2 review: love on a leash We plugged the PSVR2 into a PC, and here’s what it does Meta is improving Quest hand tracking so you can touch buttons and type on virtual keyboards Alex Cranz, Chris Welch, Chris Person, and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy discuss the world of multi-room audio devices to play music. How do smart speakers like Sonos, Amazon Echo, and Google Home compare to audiophile gadgets like the WiiM Mini and the Raspberry Pi? WiiM’s Mini and Pro are the Chromecast Audio’s real replacement Exclusive: these are the new Sonos Era speakers  Amazon’s Alexa app gets more Sonos-y with new multiroom audio controls How to set up multiroom music playback with Google Home speakers Email us at vergecast@theverge.com, or call the Vergecast Hotline at 866-VERGE11, we'd love to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 Feb 20231h 17min

This is episode one of our Vergecast mini-series "Solo Acts", which features people who are working independently to create great things on the internet, hosted by Ashley Esqueda. Today, Ashley talks with Raluca Pop, founder of the social media app Hive Social, which was created when Raluca was only 19. Ashley and Raluca discuss the challenges of building a social media app from scratch in the world of Big Tech, what happens when you need to address problem like a mass influx of users and security issues, and working with such a small team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

20 Feb 202339min

Today on the flagship podcast of wanting to smooch your laptop: 01:23 - The Verge's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, Richard Lawler, Adi Robertson, and James Vincent discuss the flaws with Microsoft's Bing AI, and why it can be an "emotionally manipulative liar." 34:56 - Platformer managing editor Zoë Schiffer joins to explain why Twitter is showing everyone all of Elon Musk's tweets. 50:33 - The crew discuss YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki stepping down after nine years at the helm. Further reading: Microsoft’s Bing is an emotionally manipulative liar, and people love it   AI search engines are not your friends These are Microsoft’s Bing AI secret rules and why it says it’s named Sydney Microsoft says talking to Bing for too long can cause it to go off the rails The Supreme Court could be about to decide the legal fate of AI search Microsoft’s Bing AI, like Google’s, also made dumb mistakes during first demo From Bing to Sydney (Stratechery) A Conversation With Bing’s Chatbot Left Me Deeply Unsettled (The New York Times) Seeing other people’s AI art is like hearing other people’s dreams Yes, Elon Musk created a special system for showing you all his tweets first  Elon Musk’s reach on Twitter is dropping — he just fired a top engineer over it  Twitter is just showing everyone all of Elon Musk’s tweets now Elon Musk says Twitter should be ready for new CEO by end of year YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki steps down after nine years at the helm  The maze is in the mouse (Praveen Seshadri) Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review: practically peerless Razer Blade 18 review: the price is going up  Tesla recalls 362,758 vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving beta for ‘crash risk’ Mazda MX-30 electric SUV review: a perfect storm of range anxiety  Hyundai and Kia forced to update software on millions of vehicles because of viral TikTok challenge Less money and more fear: what’s going on with tech Erase browser history: can AI reset the browser battle? Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call our Vergecast Hotline at 866-VERGE11, we'd love to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17 Feb 20231h 12min

Today on the flagship podcast of home theater remotes: repairing broken gadgets and why you should do it.  01:55 - David Pierce talks with Nic of Nic’s Fix, a repair service specializing in Apple’s original HomePod.  Nicsfix.com New Apple HomePod 2023 Comparison and Teardown; Is it better? Is it fixed??  28:15 - Alex Cranz talks with Quin at Harmony Remote Repair, who offers fixes for the discontinued universal remote from Logitech.  harmonyremoterepair.com Logitech officially discontinues its Harmony remote 47:07 - iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens joins the show to talk about the state of fixing your own stuff and what’s next in the fight for the right to repair. Rebble with a Cause: How Pebble Watches Were Granted an Amazing Afterlife | iFixit News  New York breaks the right to repair bill as it’s signed into law Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call the Vergecast hotline at 866-VERGE11, we'd love to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

15 Feb 20231h 13min

The Verge's Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, Richard Lawler, and James Vincent discuss Microsoft's upgraded Bing search engine with ChatGPT AI. Can Microsoft beat Google at search? Is it actually an upgrade? Also: Disney layoffs, Elon's Twitter reach is dropping, and more of this week's tech news. Further reading: Microsoft and Google are about to Open an AI battle Microsoft announces new Bing and Edge browser powered by upgraded ChatGPT AI Microsoft’s ChatGPT-powered Bing is open for everyone to try starting today  Microsoft thinks AI can beat Google at search — CEO Satya Nadella explains why  Google announces ChatGPT rival Bard, with wider availability in ‘coming weeks’  Google shows off new AI search features, but a ChatGPT rival is still weeks away Google is still drip-feeding AI into search, Maps, and Translate  Google’s AI chatbot Bard makes factual error in first demo  Elon Musk’s reach on Twitter is dropping — he just fired a top engineer over it Disney’s laying off 7,000 as streaming boom comes to an end  Bob Iger wants more Zootopia, Frozen, and Toy Story sequels from Disney Nintendo Direct February 2023: the biggest news and trailers  Fox's Super Bowl LVII ads won't include any crypto companies  Email at vergecast@theverge.com, we love to hear from you. Or call our hotline at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Feb 20231h 36min

We are sharing an episode of Land of the Giants: Dating. Big tech is transforming every aspect of our world. But how? And at what cost? In this season of Land of the Giants: Dating Games, The Verge and New York Magazine's The Cut trace the evolution of the multi-billion dollar dating app industry. Hosts Sangeeta Singh Kurtz and Lakshmi Rengarajan explore the modern dating landscape forged by companies like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge, and their impact on our hopes for connection. They answer the question – are the business goals of dating app companies aligned with users' romantic aspirations? Follow Land of the Giants to hear new episodes every Wednesday.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

8 Feb 202340min