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The Verge

The Vergecast is the flagship daily podcast from The Verge about small gadgets, Big Tech, and everything in between. Every Friday, Nilay Patel and David Pierce hang out and make sense of the week’s most important technology news. And Monday through Thursday, David leads a selection of The Verge’s expert staffers in an exploration of how gadgets and software affect our lives – and which ones you should bring into yours.

The Vergecast

Google underwent a big AI shakeup this week, leaving a lot of people wondering whether there are big problems on team Gemini. David and Nilay start the show by discussing what's next for Jeff Dean and Demis Hassabis, before diving into the ways in which Google and Reddit have become existentially, problematically dependent on one another. After that, we talk through Disney's plan to turn Disney Plus into an everything app, and all the reasons we think that's a terrible idea and a sign of big problems in the streaming biz. Finally, in the lightning round, Brendan Carr is still a dummy, Snapchat wants AI out of your feed, and BMW has a Spider-Man to sell you.

Further reading:

 The messy politics behind Google’s big AI shakeup | The Verge

 Google just announced a major shakeup of its top AI leadership

 Google Assistant will disappear from your phone next month

 Can Reddit fend off a new wave of AI SEO spam?

 Reddit is introducing a new moderator: AI 

 Reddit says it plans to “make changes” to old Reddit

 Bluesky CEO Toni Schneider wants to grow the platform and the protocol 

 Disney says it’s ‘exploring’ adding a free tier to Disney Plus 

 Disney gives TikTok creators official access to Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar characters

 Despite Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s success, the MCU is on shaky ground 

 Disney Plus is about to go beyond streaming

 Paramount and WBD’s antitrust trial is set for March 2027

 David Ellison promises he’s not going to ruin CNN.

 Almost half of HBO Max subscribers watch with ads. | The Verge

 Federal Communications Commission scraps limit on broadcast TV ownership

 SpaceX is barely Space and mostly X 

 SpaceX is coming for T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon 

 BMW’s in-car Spider-Man ad is villain behavior 

 X product chief Nikita Bier is leaving after one year | The Verge

 Snapchat will no longer recommend ‘wholly AI-generated videos’ in its vertical video feed

 Snap reports 971 million monthly active users ahead of its Specs launch event on September 16th

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.

We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.

0:00 Cold Open01:05 Google AI Shakeup Explained03:24 Gemini Product Mess05:29 Demis Hassabis and the AGI Split14:06 Is Google Actually Behind?15:29 AI Overviews Fail Parade18:12 Gemini Users and Distribution20:55 Google Plus Warning Signs24:14 Reddit as Search Lifeline27:35 AI Slop and Dead Internet29:32 Google Buys Reddit Theory33:51 Reddit Earnings Reality Check35:40 Smoking Community Vibes38:20 Disney Everything App44:25 Time Spent Arms Race47:39 Free Tier and Ads52:08 Paramount Warner Deal Drama01:00:23 Brendan Carr is a Dummy01:11:51 Nikita Bier Leaves X01:13:53 SpaceX Telecom Dreams01:20:15 Snapchat Versus AI Slop01:25:26 BMW In Car Ads01:31:19 Wrap And Subscribe
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What's behind the Google AI shakeup

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is the first feature film ever shot entirely with IMAX 70mm film cameras, which is apparently a very big deal, and why it's been harder than usual to get a ticket to see Matt Damon. And now that Spider-Man is moving onto IMAX screens, it may be even harder to get a ticket. Why is this 60-year-old technology suddenly the hottest thing in movies? The Verge's film and TV reporter Charles Pulliam-Moore joins senior reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy to compare the standard and IMAX versions of The Odyssey and talk us through the difference between IMAX, LieMAX, and Infinity Vision.

Further reading:

 Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey will be the first movie shot entirely on IMAX film

 Don’t screw this up, Marvel

 The Odyssey turned me into an IMAX believer

 Google just announced a major shakeup of its top AI leadership

 Nintendo beats earnings thanks to US tariff refunds it won’t share with gamers

 Bose’s upgraded QuietComfort headphones add head-tracking immersive audio

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.

We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.
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The next big thing in movies is 60-year-old IMAX tech

You have questions. We have (some) answers! For this week's hotline episode, Travis Larchuk asks David your questions about E Ink screens, federated messaging, minimalist phones, AI wearables, and what we got wrong about wide foldables. And don't forget, you can always call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com to get your questions in about anything and everything. Bonus points if it involves popping your two collars.

Further reading:

 The Light Flip is a minimalist flip phone with a point to prove

 ‘Max Ink Mode’ is back on TCL’s NXTPaper 70 Pro

 Daylight DC-1 tablet hands-on: an Android tablet with a new kind of screen

 Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like the future

 Disney says it’s ‘exploring’ adding a free tier to Disney Plus

 Disney Plus is about to go beyond streaming.

 Disney gives TikTok creators official access to Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar characters

 SpaceX is coming for T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon | The Verge

 Google Assistant will disappear from your phone next month

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.

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

Hotline: E Ink, the fediverse, and smart Puka shells

Everyone in AI is talking about open-weight models right now. Some see them as the ticket to faster, more efficient development; others see them as an economic threat; they're either a security risk or the only security solution, depending who you ask. The Verge's Robert Hart explains how open-weight models work, why they're suddenly at the center of discussions about AI safety, and whether the only way to stop a bad guy with AI is a good guy with AI.

Further reading:

 The next Xbox could play every Xbox game ever made

 Microsoft is bringing Xbox 360 games to PC

 Apple briefly yanked Telegram from the App Store over CSAM violations

 These trackable batteries could help you locate a missing camera

 OpenAI’s rogue AI agent didn’t stop at hacking Hugging Face

 We’re running out of reasons to ignore AI safety

 Anthropic says Claude accidentally hacked real companies too

 China’s Alibaba takes another swipe at America’s AI supremacy

 OpenAI’s biggest threat may just be open AI

 Nvidia, Microsoft launch open AI security alliance — without OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.

We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.
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What's really open about open-weight AI?

For the last few years, the trend in wearables has been all about screens. As many of them as possible. But now, companies like Whoop, Fitbit, and Garmin are creating new products that ditch the display entirely. The Verge's Victoria Song explains why no-screen is the new flex, why even the most quantified athletes might not want a display on their wrist, and whether Whoop and the Whoop Dupes are a sign of a broader trend

Further reading:

 Spider-Man and The Odyssey are splitting up IMAX screens after a record-breaking weekend)

 Truth Social’s priority access subscription goes live and raises corruption concerns. | The Verge

 Google’s Pixel 11 specs and price leak showing the impact of RAMageddon | The Verge

 Lenovo Googlebook leaks reveal a laptop and 2-in-1 tablet | The Verge

 The Fitbit Air takes a smarter approach to the AI health dumpster fire

 Garmin’s new screen-free fitness tracker doesn’t require a subscription

 Whoop wants everyone to give a whoop about the new Whoop 5.0

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.

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

Rise of the Whoop dupes

It's a big week for new ideas about computers, so David and Nilay spend some time on Samsung's vision for foldables and Mark Zuckerberg's vision for AI agents that do absolutely everything. Then they talk about the fallout from last week's OpenAI Hugging Face hack, and whether all this talk about AI safety will actually amount to anything. Finally, it's time for Brendan Carr is a Dummy, the vertical video takeover, and the smashing success of the Ferrari Luce.

Further reading:

 Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like the future

 Apple launches ‘Upgrade’ program to lease new devices 

 What’s the catch with the Apple Upgrade program?

 Mark Zuckerberg is planning a big push into personal AI agents

 Mark Zuckerberg wrote an op-ed about AI for the WSJ. 

 We’re running out of reasons to ignore AI safety

 OpenAI reportedly didn’t notice its AI agent hacking Hugging Face until a week later. 

 Nvidia, Microsoft launch open AI security alliance — without OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic

 OpenAI’s rogue AI agent didn’t stop at hacking Hugging Face 

 AI leaders sign a statement asking the government to do something about automated AI 

 Former FCC chairs blast Carr’s early renewal of ABC licenses as an ‘assault on free speech.’

 ABC demands FCC drop its ‘punitive’ early license renewal of its stations

 Qualcomm is raising phone chip prices starting September 1st

 The Ferrari Luce reportedly already hit its 2026 sales target 

 Samsung’s smartphone biz posts first ever loss, but profit still soars 1,300 percent on RAM.

 Facebook considers giving up and becoming TikTok 

 YouTube Premium will include Peacock starting next year 

 HBO Max is putting on vertical shorts 

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.

We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.

(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:00:00 Intro

00:03:00 Baby Announcement

00:06:00 Galaxy Z Fold

00:12:00 Apple Leasing Program

00:15:00 Kill Switch Concerns

00:19:00 Zuck Agent Future

00:34:00 AI Safety Week Recap

00:42:00 Regulation Versus China

00:49:00 Winning AI Race

00:53:00 Security Arms Race

00:57:00 Brendan Carr Is a Dummy

01:07:00 Facebook Becomes TikTok

01:12:00 Ramageddon Price Hikes

01:16:00 HBO Max Shorts

01:23:00 Ferrari Luce Buzz

01:26:00 Wrap Up and Plugs
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It's time to panic about AI safety

A new study from the Oversight Board found that leading AI systems are less likely to criticize authoritarian governments than democratic ones. It's a wild finding — but wait? Why is the Oversight Board studying systems from OpenAI and Anthropic in the first place? Suzanne Nossel, who sits on the board, joined us to discuss the findings and why the Oversight Board's future might involve looking at more than just Meta.

Further reading:

 Zoox can now charge for rides in its steering-wheel-free robotaxis

 Spotify Running Mode helps match tunes to tempo

 Friend re-launches its AI pendant with a speaker that talks to you, for twice the price

 ⁠How Facebook undercut the Oversight Board⁠

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.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 Oversight Board is coming for ChatGPT and Claude

The wide foldable is here, and it's glorious. The Verge's Dominic Preston has been reviewing Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8, and joins the show to explain what this shorter, wider device gets right, what it's still missing, and why this looks like the right kind of foldable for most people. (Once the price comes down, anyway.) With a similar foldable iPhone likely coming soon, it's shaping up to be a fun year of foldables.

Further reading:

 OpenAI’s rogue AI agent didn’t stop at hacking Hugging Face | The Verge

 The US is banning foreign robots | The Verge

 DoorDash is going airborne with new drone delivery division

 Willie Nelson is pushing back against data centers in his hometown.

 Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like the future

 Huawei beats Samsung and Apple to market with the first wide foldable

 A wide foldable iPhone dummy emerges amid rumors of a delay

 So long, small phones

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.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

The Z Fold 8 is the new foldable to beat

The team at Light has been working on minimalist phones for more than a decade. Its last device had a lot in common with a smartphone, but the newest model, the Light Flip, is something very different. Light CEO Kaiwei Tang explains why Light made a flip phone, how the world's opinion of smartphones is changing, and whether you can cure your tech problems with more tech.

Further reading:

 ⁠Apple launches ‘Upgrade’ program to lease new devices⁠

 ⁠Apple’s reported ‘HomePad’ may launch as early as October⁠

 ⁠X Money is launching in the US starting today⁠

 ⁠The Light Flip is a minimalist flip phone with a point to prove⁠

 ⁠Light Phone III review: everything in moderation⁠

 ⁠The high hopes of the low-tech phone⁠

 ⁠There’s no perfect minimalist phone — yet⁠

⁠Subscribe to The Verge⁠ for unlimited access to ⁠theverge.com⁠, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ⁠ad-free podcast feed⁠.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to ⁠vergecast@theverge.com⁠ or call us at 866-VERGE11.
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Flip phones are so back

Some of the biggest players in AI — in particular OpenAI, SpaceX, and Amazon — are heavily invested in creating a world after smartphones. They're also all rumored to be building devices that sound a lot like smartphones. Verge contributor David Imel helps us figure out what these companies might actually be building, what an AI smartphone looks like, and whether anyone can unseat Apple and Google.

Links: 

 Elon Musk denies a report about SpaceX’s AI phone prototype

 OpenAI is reportedly launching a phone for ChatGPT

 Amazon is making an Alexa phone

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.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's what an AI-first phone might look like

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