How Apple lost control of the App Store

This week on The Vergecast, Nilay, Lauren, Dieter, and Paul begin by discussing the controversy over the Google engineer who was fired over writing a 10-page viral memo about diversity. The story illustrates a deeper problem in Silicon Valley, which Lauren has discussed in her podcast recently, so the cast talks about the science of the claims, the responsibly of Google, and what it means in the larger tech industry. In the second half of the show, the crew runs through the latest leaks, releases, and controversies in the gadget world, including Paul’s segment he does every week, “FROYO PODS.”  01:46 - Google engineer fired over memo files labor complaint 33:09 - Consumer Reports stops recommending Microsoft Surface PCs over reliability concerns 37:41 - The new iPhone could have a resizable home button and face recognition for payments 46:22 - 4K Apple TV with HDR spotted in HomePod firmware 48:54 - Essential promises a new phone release date 'in a week' 56:19 - Another Pixel 2 leak shows the phone’s large front bezels 58:14 - Paul’s weekly segment “FROYO PODS” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

11 Aug 20171h 2min

We are without Nilay Patel on The Vergecast this week, so Dieter Bohn and Paul Miller step up to host with some very special guests: transportation editor Tamara Warren, and tech editor Natt Garun. Tamara was one of the few people who got to test drive the Tesla Model 3 last week, so she brings her expertise to the show to talk about what she knows so far. Also, some of the iPhone’s design and features got leaked out from code in the HomePod, so Natt Garun helps the crew break down all the information we’ve gleaned. There’s a whole lot in between that — like Paul’s segment about the salt shaker Smalt — so listen to it all and you’ll get it all. 01:18 - Tesla Model 3 first drive 31:02 - The next iPhone’s screen design and face unlock apparently confirmed by HomePod firmware 39:52 - This iPhone 8 concept video imagines a touchscreen in the home button 48:33 - Next Level final episode with Lauren Goode 1:10:56 - Paul’s weekly segment “Smalt you later” 1:14:25 - Apple returns to growth as cheaper iPads boost sales 1:15:32 - Fitbit says its long-awaited smartwatch will be ready for the holidays Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

4 Aug 20171h 22min

Apple announced this week that the iPod nano has been discontinued, taking down the website for both the shuffle and the nano today. Walt Mossberg - renowned tech reviewer, looks back on the iPod nano's origin with an anecdote about an interaction he had with Steve Jobs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

28 Juli 20171min

The Vergecast summer 2017 continues! This week, The Verge launched Verge Guidebook, a new guide to show you what to buy, what you shouldn't, and how to use it all. Nilay, Dieter, and Paul start off the show discussing the new review system and how-tos coming to the site. Then, there’s another set of obituaries this week: Apple nano, Adobe Flash, and Microsoft Paint. The crew pays their respects to the weird moments these products gave us. Returning for episode 3 of her series Next Level, Lauren Goode stops by to give us behind-the-scenes info on the latest episode and what’s in store for episode 4. There’s a whole lot of stuff in between, so listen to it all and you’ll get it all. 03:22 - Welcome to Verge Guidebook 16:51 - Apple confirms iPod nano and iPod shuffle have been discontinued 22:20 - Adobe will finally kill Flash in 2020 29:35 - Microsoft Paint isn’t dead yet, will live in the Windows Store for free 39:02 - Next Level episode 3 with Lauren Goode 56:12 - A Wisconsin company will let employees use microchip implants to buy snacks and open doors 1:00:20 - Pixel 2 headphone jack 1:01:21 - Apple supplier Foxconn unveils plan to build a $10 billion LCD factory in Wisconsin 1:17:18 - Paul’s weekly segment “Meizu? Me, too” 1:22:22 - Twitter stalls, fails to add new users this quarter 1:23:43 - YouTube’s head of music confirms YouTube Red and Google Play Music will merge to create a new service 1:33:23 - Elon Musk dismisses Mark Zuckerberg’s understanding of AI threat as “limited” 1:37:37 - An eight-year-old reviews the Nintendo Switch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

28 Juli 20171h 39min

Summer editions of The Vergecast continue as Nilay and Dieter welcome Ashley Carman and Jake Kastrenakes back to the show to discuss the news that hit the site this week. Elon Musk said he got “verbal” approval from The White House to build a hyperloop on the East Coast, Comcast is back at it again with statements on net neutrality, and we’ve got a few updates in the AI department. Also, Lauren Goode updates us on the newest episode of her series Next Level once again! This week, she visited Dolby Labs to explore their experiments to track people’s emotional responses as they watch movies and TV. There’s a lot more in between that, so listen to it all and you’ll get it all.  02:52 - Pacific Rim: Uprising’s teaser 05:24 - Elon Musk says he has a green light to build a NY-Philly-Baltimore-DC hyperloop 11:47 - Bixby feels more like a return of the old Samsung than a path to the future 20:27 - Next Level episode 2 with Lauren Goode 37:21 - You’ll be able to talk to Alexa on Android phones starting this week 40:25 - Why is Comcast using self-driving cars to justify abolishing net neutrality? 44:09 - Microsoft wants to close the rural broadband gap with TV white spaces 51:58 - Ashley’s weekly segment “Let’s talk about translucent gadgets” 54:26 - Google Glass is back from the dead 58:04 - Snap’s Spectacles are now available directly from Amazon 1:00:18 - How Instagram is reshaping restaurant design 1:04:25 - Apple joined by Foxconn and others in its fight with Qualcomm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

21 Juli 20171h 6min

Welcome back to another week of The Vergecast. Nilay, Paul, and Dieter sit down in the studio to bring you the news that hit our site this week. First off, the net neutrality day of action was on Wednesday, as was Nilay’s piece on the matter. The gang debate the issue in this net neutrality “season” of news. Halfway through the show, senior tech editor Lauren Goode stops by to talk a little bit about her new video series Next Level, which shows the technology that’s being worked on at some of the world’s most innovative companies and research institutions. You can check out the first episode here. Last, but not least, we have what you’ve been waiting for — phone news! We have a mini Verge mobile show to discuss the deaths and births of the mobile world recently. There’s a whole lot in between that, so listen to it all and you’ll get it all.  03:45 - A Microsoft font may have exposed corruption in Pakistan 07:39 - Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T want Congress to make a net neutrality law because they will write it 23:39 - The FCC says net neutrality destroys small ISPs. So has it? 35:47 - Next Level with Lauren Goode 52:13 - iFixit teardown confirms Note 7 Fan Edition is just a Note 7 with a new, smaller battery 53:30 - BlackBerry KeyOne launches on Sprint, the eternal harbor of innovation 54:25 - Death of Windows Phone 59:47 - The new Pixel XL 1:01:54 - Luxury phone maker Vertu is shutting down its UK manufacturing operation 1:03:27 - Andy Rubin’s Essential is staying quiet on the Essential Phone delay 1:06:51 - Paul’s weekly segment “Mag me later” 1:10:31 - Alexa news Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

14 Juli 20171h 17min

The week of Independence Day, Nilay, Paul, and Dieter get together in a classic format of The Vergecast to bring you the top tech news that hit the site this week. To name a few, we’ve got a review of the Echo Look, a new Android phone announced, and some breaking news in the middle of the show. There’s a lot more in between that, so listen to it all and you’ll get it all. 04:48 - Amazon’s Echo Look does more for Amazon than it does for your style 25:17 - RED is making a $1,200 smartphone with a “holographic display” 32:07 - New report claims iPhone 8 won’t feature fingerprint sensor in display 41:08 - Ashley’s segment “Spotted” 42:16 - Qualcomm is trying to ban iPhones from being sold in the US 51:24 - Paul’s weekly segment “TOOTHPASTE PODS” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

7 Juli 201757min

Did you know it was the iPhone's 10th anniversary on Thursday? The Vergecast knows. Nilay, Dieter, and Paul talk about what the iPhone means to them, to the industry, and to the entire universe. With just a slight tangent to talk about Orbs for Kings. Better yet, Nilay interviewed Verge reporter Russell Brandom about the Petya ransomware. It's a segment Russell calls "CyberTalk," but Nilay wants to call it "Brandom Security with Russell Brandom." Please vote in the comments. 1:00 - The iPhone turns 10 21:56 - iPhone or smartphones: which had the bigger impact? 31:50 - Petya ransomware in “Brandom Security with Russell Brandom” / “CyberTalk” 47:15 - Amazon Echo Show Review 55:31 - iOS 11 preview 66:00 - ARKit 72:30 - Paul’s weekly segment “Spin Safety” 74:50 - Galaxy Note 7 (Fandom Edition) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

30 Juni 20171h 22min