Hello! This is The Vergecast, the flagship podcast of The Verge... and your life. Every Friday, Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn make sense of the week's tech news with help from our wide-ranging staff. Join us every week for a fun, deeply nerdy, often off-the-rails conversation about what's happening now (and next) in technology and gadgets.
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Pirate Radio » The PIRATE Act
Congress is in the process of passing a non-partisan bill to increase support for enforcement against illegal pirate radio operations: Fines can now go as high as $2 million, and the FCC will fund “enforcement sweeps” in major radio markets. Does this target well-intentioned community radio, designed to speak to immigrant communities? Episode three of The Verge's Pirate Radio mini-series featuring Bijan Stephen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pirate Radio » Dial up!
How the Hmong diaspora uses the world's most boring technology to make something weird and wonderful. Episode two of The Verge's Pirate Radio mini-series featuring Mia Sato. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pirate Radio » Outside the wire
When the US entered Afghanistan, local DJs were hired to help with the war effort. And when the American military pulled out, they abandoned those voices, leaving many of them for dead. Episode 1 of The Verge's Pirate Radio mini-series featuring Chris Harland-Dunaway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apple releases 16-inch Macbook Pro, Motorola announces a new Razr, and Disney+ launches
This week on The Vergecast, Nilay, Dieter, and Paul go through the products announced this week including Apple's 16-inch Macbook Pro and Motorola's new Razr foldable phone. Julia Alexander then joins the show to cover the initial launch of Disney+ and the ongoing streaming wars. Stories this week: The everything town in the middle of nowhere Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro is here, and it has a good keyboard A fully loaded 16-inch MacBook Pro costs $6,099 Apple’s new Mac Pro is shipping next month Google’s rollout of RCS chat for all Android users in the US begins today Motorola resurrects the Razr as a foldable Android smartphone John Carmack stepping down as CTO of Oculus to work on AI Disney+ experiencing ‘unable to connect’ errors on launch day The Mandalorian’s first episode shows that Star Wars can work on the small screen Disney+ doesn’t have to sell anyone on streaming How to get a year of free Disney+ from Verizon The Simpsons’ aspect ratio is messed up on Disney+ Verizon’s new set-top box is possibly the worst option out there for streaming Apple could bundle news, TV, and music into one subscription as soon as 2020 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How America gave up on free markets with Thomas Philippon
On this week’s Vergecast interview, Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to finance professor and an economist at the NYU stern school of business Thomas Philippon. Thomas just wrote a book called The Great Reversal: How America Gave Up on Free Markets all about competition and consolidation in different markets. When Thomas moved to the United States from France in the 90s, he noticed everything from laptops to internet access was cheaper in America, but over time has gotten more and more expensive. In the interview Nilay and Thomas discuss why that is — unsurprisingly the answer is consolidation in a lot of our markets. Thomas makes a point that in some places, concentrations are actually good and creates value for the consumers, but in some markets like healthcare, technology, and airtravel, that consolidation has resulted in way higher prices for Americans. Since the prices go up slowly, we don’t actually notice. If you have been listening to The Vergecast and been paying attention to our big conversations about whether or not we should be breaking up big tech companies, whether we should regulate them, or whether tech companies with network effects like Google and Facebook are different than companies like AT&T and GE, this conversation is up your alley. Below is lightly edited except of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Microsoft Surface roundup: Surface Pro X, Surface Laptop 3, and their processors
In a bonus episode of The Vergecast this week, Dieter Bohn hosts a Microsoft Surface roundup with deputy editor Dan Seifert and senior editor Tom Warren. The trio go through reviews of this years new product lineup and how they compare with their counterparts. Links: Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15-inch review: it’s a bigger Surface Laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5-inch review: have a normal one Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review: I wish this looked like a Surface Pro X Microsoft Surface Pro X review: heartbreaker Surface Pro X vs. Pro 7: ARM needs some legs Microsoft bet against Intel with its new Surfaces — and lost Microsoft leak reveals Windows 10X will be coming to laptops Microsoft unveils new Edge browser logo that no longer looks like Internet Explorer Microsoft’s Edge Chromium browser will launch on January 15th with a new logo Microsoft previews the future of Office documents with Fluid Framework for the web Hands-on with Microsoft’s xCloud game streaming service Xbox Game Streaming hands-on: turn your Xbox into a game streaming server Xbox Elite 2 controller review: Microsoft’s best Xbox controller just got better Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Adobe Max 2019 announcements, AirPods Pro, and missed texts from Valentines Day
This week on The Vergecast, everything that happened at Adobe Max 2019, reviews for the Microsoft Surface Pro X and AirPods Pro, and missed text messages from Valentines Day. Stories this week: Adobe Max 2019: all the top announcements Adobe’s Photoshop for the iPad is finally here, with more features to come Adobe is developing Illustrator for the iPad, to be released 2020 Adobe Aero turns Photoshop layers into interactive AR experiences Adobe’s Fresco drawing app arrives on Windows Photoshop adds an extremely helpful AI subject selection tool Adobe previews an AI feature that can tell when an image has been manipulated- Adobe’s AI-powered video framing tool is available now in Premiere Pro Adobe is launching a free AI-powered Photoshop Camera app Adobe is building live-streaming into Creative Cloud apps Adobe’s Premiere Rush can now publish directly to TikTok Microsoft Surface Pro X review: heartbreaker Microsoft's Edge Chromium browser will launch on January … Microsoft unveils new Edge browser logo that no longer looks ... Microsoft’s new Office app for iOS and Android combines Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Microsoft previews the future of Office documents with Fluid Framework for the we A ton of people received text messages overnight that were originally sent on Valentine’s Day Somehow, Android's messaging mess is about to get even … AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile have finally agreed to ... Apple AirPods Pro review: perfect fit Google buys Fitbit for $2.1 billion Google is buying Fitbit: now what? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What happened in the comments section of the FCC's net neutrality hearing?
This week on The Vergecast, Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks with Jeremy Singer-Vine, the data editor for the BuzzFeed News investigative unit, about his story that was published recently regarding the fake comments on the Federal Communications Commission’s online net neutrality debate. If you haven’t read the piece, you should. The investigation details where all of the fake comments in the FCC’s net neutrality process came from, including dead people leaving comments and shady political operatives involved in the scam. It’s not really a story about net neutrality; rather, it’s about how systems designed for public participation in the government are so easily scammed, and what the challenges are for preventing such scams from happening. Nilay and Jeremy discuss why it happened, how it happened, and what happens next if we want to use the internet to encourage open access participation in government without corruption. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The future of photos with Google Pixel camera's product manager and Instagram's director of product
Live at The Glass Room in San Francisco, Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn, and Ashley Carman are joined by Google Pixel camera product manager Isaac Reynolds and Instagram head of product Robby Stein to talk about how the photos we share influence the photos we take — and vice versa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Amber Baldet on what blockchain technology can do for us beyond cryptocurrency
Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel interviews cryptocurrency expert Amber Baldet, co-founder of Clovyr and on the board of the Zcash foundation. Nilay and Amber discuss where cryptocurrencies on the blockchain are going, the potential of Facebook's Libra project, and how the blockchain can revive our trust in putting our data online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Reviewing the Pixel 4, the calm before the streaming war, and a Foxconn Wisconsin update
Stories discussed this week: Foxconn finally admits its empty Wisconsin ‘innovation centers’ aren’t being developed Foxconn’s giant glass dome in Wisconsin is back, baby Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL review: more than the sum of its sensors Google to update Pixel 4 face unlock with eye detection ‘in the coming months` The Pixel 4 is more like an iPhone than any other Android phone Google promises another Pixel 4 software update, this time for the screen’s refresh rate Google’s older Pixels won’t get the Pixel 4’s dual exposure and Live HDR+ features Google’s Pixel 4 was $100 off on Amazon for a second time Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review: I wish this looked like a Surface Pro X Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15-inch review: it’s a bigger Surface Laptop Apple TV app launches on Amazon Fire TV devices Comcast’s ‘free’ streaming box actually requires an additional $13 / month fee Disney CEO says Scorsese and Coppola can ‘bitch about movies’ if they want Verizon is offering a free year of Disney+ to unlimited data and Fios customers There’s a new Banana Phone, and it can play ‘Bananaphone’ Twitch megastar Shroud is joining Ninja on Mixer as an exclusive streamer Caffeine hopes celebrities and entertainment can help it beat Twitch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Will the Sprint and T-Mobile merger create competition?
This week for our interview series on The Vergecast, host and Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to Gigi Sohn, a distinguished fellow at Georgetown Law’s Institute for Technology Law and Policy. We’ve had Gigi on the show before to talk about the ramifications following the repeal of net neutrality. This time, we brought her back to talk about some recent developments in the tech policy world, including lawmakers in states like California introducing net neutrality bills. We also talk to Gigi about the Sprint and T-Mobile merger and the issues surrounding how that merger will seemingly go through unless it’s stopped by a lawsuit from several states. Can Dish become a fourth mobile carrier? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pixel 4 hands-on and Mark Zuckerberg's speech on free speech
The biggest announcements from Google’s 2019 Pixel event The Pixel 4 has a radar chip that lets you control music and wave at pokémon Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL hands-on: this time, it’s not about the camera The Pixel 4 lacks one of the best perks that came with Google’s previous flagship phones Google improves the Pixel 4 camera with Live HDR and more With no buds or adapter, Pixel 4 opens the door to rival headphone makers Pixel Buds 2 hands-on: Google takes on the AirPods Pixelbook Go: Google finally made a reasonably priced Chromebook Google’s new Nest Mini has better controls, similar sound, and the same price Nest Wifi first look: Google finally combined a smart speaker and a router Google’s Stadia wireless controller won’t be very wireless at launch Facebook’s decision to allow lies in political ads is coming back to haunt it Democrats are striking back against Facebook’s ads policies Mark Zuckerberg on lies in political ads: ‘I don’t think it’s right for a private company to censor politicians’ Mark Zuckerberg took on China in a speech defending free expression Facebook privacy abuse targeted by ‘Mind your own business’ bill Take our Vergecast survey! theverge.com/survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google's Rick Osterloh shows off new Pixel and Nest hardware
Vergecast hosts Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn attended Google's hardware event on Tuesday and sat down with SVP of Devices & Services Rick Osterloh to discuss Google's new products: the Pixel 4, the Pixelbook Go, the Nest Mini, and the Pixel Buds 2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Twitter's Kayvon Beykpour on product features Twitter is prioritizing
Twitter’s head of product Kayvon Beykpour sits down with Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel and Silicon Valley editor Casey Newton to talk about how Twitter juggles its policy with trust and safety, the state of verification, the future of video in your feed, and how tweets can become more ephemeral. Please take our survey here: theverge.com/survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices