The Vergecast

Over the last several months, the AI industry has set its sights on some of the problems that have stymied mathematicians for years. In some cases, AI models have made huge progress — though exactly how much isn't always obvious. The Verge's Robert Hart explains what OpenAI and others have actually accomplished, the disastrously bad ways the companies have interacted with researchers, and whether there's a future left for human mathematics.

Further reading:

⁠Spotify pulls 50 million AI slop and spam tracks from its recommendations⁠

⁠Adobe Lightroom mobile can now open closed eyes in photos with a simple tap⁠

⁠Wii Sports is back on the Switch 2, and it rules⁠

⁠All the drama around AI’s takeover of mathematics | The Verge⁠

⁠OpenAI keeps bulldozing mathematicians | The Verge⁠⁠

⁠OpenAI just wants to win | The Verge⁠⁠

⁠The AI takeover of mathematics has begun | The Verge⁠⁠

⁠‘Pure insanity’: Mathematicians will need years to make sense of OpenAI’s latest drop | The Verge⁠⁠

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Creator life involves using a lot of software. Bad software. Stephen Robles is one of the creators who decided to build something better, for himself and for his community. He tells David how he thinks about his responsibility as a developer, how he makes apps, and how AI is changing the way he builds things for his audience.

Further reading:

Apple teases MacBook Pro event next week

You Can See Everything has the biggest opening weekend for a doc in 20 years

TikTok says ban of Musk documentary account was ‘an error’

Video game ownership bill introduced in Congress

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Well, it's been a couple of days, and David and Nilay have some more information — and a bunch of new questions — about the Apple HomeView. They also talk about the latest Gemini model, and whether building the best model matters if you can't build the best products around them. They then debate the merits of returning to X, why none of the supposed Twitter replacements worked, the latest in Brendan Carr nonsense, and more.

Further reading:

HomeView doesn’t natively support any video apps yet — not even Apple’s

Apple’s new Find My-compatible remote will also work with your old Apple TV

The AI race is back on

Google finally releases Gemini 4 Argon

Google brings its AI coding platform to its Gemini app on Mac.

Google makes it easier to launch your vibe-coded apps

OpenAI employee arrested for allegedly planting a bug in a conference room

OpenAI claims an ex-employee took its product plans and presented them to Apple

Now that Character.AI is going bankrupt, what happens to all of its users’ data?

Daring Fireball: X Once Again Marks the Spot

Platformer: Does intelligence need a hard cap?

SpaceX announces plan to become a ‘major mobile carrier’

JPMorgan Chase is keeping AI agents out.

Xbox is officially embracing the chaos of AI-powered game ports

Global smartphone sales just hit a 14-year low.

Silicon Valley is falling in line with Trump’s attempt to rename AI

The US government launched a “Super Intelligence” website.

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0:00 CarPlay Banter01:36 HomeView App Confusion03:40 CarPlay as Home OS08:31 Apple Hardware Software Bet13:28 Should It Just Be an iPad?14:31 Gemini 4 Returns16:18 Meta Muse Strategy19:54 Google Product Dilemma26:28 OpenAI Bugging Scandal29:49 Character AI Bankruptcy32:31 Bankrupt Data Goldmine33:00 Privacy After Shutdown36:55 Why People Return to X39:35 Threads Fumbled It40:49 X Owns AI Talk49:17 Who Should Use X49:57 Reporters And Sources53:00 Video Platforms Win54:44 Gruber Gets It Wrong01:01:29 Brendan Carr is a Dummy01:02:40 Execution Livestream Fallout01:07:21 Sprint Merger Fallout01:08:48 Dish Spectrum to SpaceX01:09:44 Can Starlink Compete01:11:30 SpaceX Phone Rumors01:13:55 Smartphone Sales Slump01:18:37 Agents vs Websites01:24:21 Why UI Still Matters01:26:43 Super Intelligence Rebrand01:30:37 AI Game Decompiling01:36:35 Wrap Up and Plugs

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Meta just shipped a pair of smart glasses with no camera — a change that both David and The Verge's Victoria Song are excited about. But these glasses, like the new product from Amazon Bee and seemingly everything else now, are still ready and willing to record the world around you at all times. What do we do in a world where everything, everywhere, might be recording? And can tech companies figure out a way to make us feel better about it?

You have until Thursday to vote for us in the Signal Awards!

Vote Decoder: Best Business Podcast

Vote Vergecast: Best Technology Podcast

Vote Version History: Best History Podcast

Further reading:

Prep your cart before iPhone Duo preorders open tomorrow

OpenAI agrees not to use trade secrets it allegedly took from Apple

Your secrets aren’t safe with this cute robot toy — they’re on Chinese servers ready to be hacked

I don’t miss the camera on the Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses

Amazon’s always-listening Bee wearable can now help you buy stuff

We can’t just change the definition of ‘recording’

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A man named Mike Smith was recently sentenced to 18 months in prison, and a fine in excess of $8 million, for creating an AI system that faked billions of streams and earned him millions in royalties. Wired's Kate Knibbs explains how Smith pulled it off, how he got caught, and what this case means for the internet's growing slop problems.

Vote for us in the Signal Awards!

⁠Vote Vergecast: Best Technology Podcast⁠

⁠Vote Version History: Best History Podcast⁠

⁠Vote Decoder: Best Business Podcast⁠

Further reading:

⁠Apple’s HomeView ad is confusing to everyone except parents | The Verge⁠

⁠Ocarina of Time’s Switch 2 remake feels modern — and terrifying | The Verge⁠

⁠We might not have to wait 13 years for the next GTA | The Verge⁠

⁠Epic is bringing Fortnite to Linux | The Verge⁠

⁠JPMorgan Chase is keeping AI agents out. | The Verge⁠

⁠Wired: Spotify Confirms Streaming Fraud After Kalshi Trader Cries Foul⁠

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

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Apple just announced its long-rumored HomeView smart home hub. But that's not all... there are cameras, thermostats and a door lock co-developed with LG and Schneider Electric, refreshed HomePod Minis, even a new Apple TV 4K. The Verge's senior smart home reviewer Jennifer Pattinson Tuohy joined Nilay Patel and David Pierce LIVE to discuss and take your questions about Apple's massive play to take over your house.

You have until Thursday to vote for us in the Signal Awards!

Vote Decoder: Best Business Podcast

Vote Vergecast: Best Technology Podcast

Vote Version History: Best History Podcast

Further reading:

Apple launches HomeView, its first smart display for the home

The new Apple Home Collection includes a video doorbell, smart lock, and more

Apple announces the HomePod Mini 2, but it isn’t ready for Siri AI at launch

The new Apple TV 4K has built-in microphones so you can talk to Siri AI

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

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It's gadget season. More specifically, it's apparently "new computer for your new AI" season. David and Nilay talk through a slew of announcements — Amazon's Alexa Tablets, Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra, the new Googlebooks, and Apple's upcoming smart home launch — to figure out if anyone has the right idea about the future of computing, and where the AI is supposed to live. After that, it's time for Brendan Carr is a Dummy, our thoughts on the Paramount / Warner / Skydance merger, and much more.

Please vote for The Verge's podcasts in the Signal listener's choice awards!

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Vote Decoder: Best Business Podcast

We’re also on video! Check us out on YouTube.

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Read more about the topics discussed in today's 1 hour, 41 minute podcast:

⁠Amazon’s Alexa Tablets are powerful, impressive, and designed to take on iPad ⁠

⁠Hands-on with Amazon’s Alexa Tablet 12 Pro and its wild new matte display  ⁠

⁠Amazon is phasing out Fire Tablets because they weren’t ‘giving customers what they were asking for⁠’

⁠Amazon’s new Kids Tablets let parents manage access to the Google Play store

⁠Apple announces surprise ‘Welcome home’ launch event⁠

⁠Apple and LG team up on new smart home gear, starting with a lock, doorbell, and thermostat⁠

⁠New leaks provide our first look at Apple and LG’s smart home devices

⁠Everything announced at Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra event ⁠

⁠The Surface Laptop Ultra finally has a release date — and a starting price of $2,599⁠

⁠Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra has built-in magnetic USB-C charging ⁠

⁠How Microsoft built its MacBook Pro competitor ⁠

⁠Surface RTX Spark Dev Box is available for preorder for $5,999 ⁠

⁠The first Nvidia RTX Spark laptops cost up to $7,000 ⁠

⁠Microsoft is giving Copilot more control over Windows and your files

Our first five impressions of Googlebooks — exciting but underbaked 

Android’s physical navigation buttons are back on Googlebooks, but not the way you think

Google admits not every Android app runs great on Intel Googlebooks 

Politico: ‘Head on a guillotine’: ABC says Trump’s threats are already swaying coverage

ChatGPT’s ‘Intelligent UI’ update fills its responses with pictures, charts, and buttons

Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery complete $110 billion media megamerger 

HBO Max and Paramount Plus will merge into a single streamer under Skydance 

CNN’s boss will remain as Paramount and WBD merge into Skydance 

Skydance is merging Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery’s games teams.

Sam Altman says ‘some bad things’ will happen, but AI is totally worth it

0:00 Cold Open
00:37 David’s back!
01:10 Parenting Chaos Update
02:49 Gadget News Rundown
03:47 New Amazon Alexa Tablets
05:15 Panos Strategy Shift
06:31 Play Store Bet
11:17 Default Android Tablet
13:18 Ads and Pricing Fears
15:30 Amazon Great Products
21:20 Matte Display Debate
25:01 Apple Smart Home Tease
26:12 Siri AI Reality Check
29:08 Smart Home Too Complex
33:37 Candy Crush Question
34:56 iPad Multiuser Problem
39:04 Microsoft AI Surface Push
40:35 Local AI Computing Shift
47:22 Magnetic USB C Charging
48:37 Google Book Laptop Confusion
54:20 AI Agents Need A Surface
58:50 Skepticism About Agents
01:07:46 Brendan Carr is a Dummy
01:09:23 ABC License Chilling Effect
01:11:24 Brendan Carr Ownership Cap
01:12:30 Cable Companies Sue Back
01:14:44 SXSW Corruption Game
01:15:50 Skydance Mega Merger
01:18:04 Debt Layoffs Streamer Cuts
01:22:58 Go90 Scale Returns
01:24:02 Netflix Loses Its Edge
01:30:44 ChatGPT Interactive UI
01:37:47 Sam Altman Tradeoffs
01:44:49 Wrap Up And Plugs
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Amazon is determined to turn Alexa Plus into a do-everything AI assistant that can compete with Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, and the rest. But after a year of testing, The Verge's Jen Tuohy has mixed feelings on how it's all going. And on whether a new tablet is the right way to fix it.

Further reading:

It appears .agent and .agi are about to be the hot new domains

GTA VI leaks continue with a lengthy (and very nude) gameplay video

GTA VI will have in-game podcasts and at least six radio stations

Joe Rogan and Spotify renew massive podcast deal

Alexa Plus is better at running my home, but it’s not ready to run my life

Hands-on with Amazon’s Alexa Tablet 12 Pro and its wild new matte display

Amazon is phasing out Fire Tablets because they weren’t ‘giving customers what they were asking for’

The Vergecast has been nominated for a Signal Award! You can vote to help us win here.

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Bose, Sony, Beats, and seemingly every other headphone maker has recently released a new and excellent set of cans. Or buds. Or both. The Verge's John Higgins explains why the headphone market is suddenly so great, how the companies are competing now, and which new pair is the right one for you.

Vote for us in the Signal Awards!

Vote Vergecast: Best Technology Podcast

Vote Version History: Best History Podcast

Vote Decoder: Best Business Podcast

Further reading:

The Sonos Ace Ultra are the headphones Sonos should have made the first time

Nothing’s new flagship Headphone 1 Pro put you in the studio

The Beats 360 are what I’d bring to the gym if I hated earbuds

The premium AirPods 5 are the best open-ear earbuds Apple has made

Six years later, Sony revisits its legendary XM4 headphones

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

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The next big thing in AI, at least if you ask the tech companies, is assistant agents. David and The Verge's Allison Johnson have both been testing products like Meta's Muse, OpenAI's Dots, and startups like Instinct, in an effort to find out how much you can really get done by messaging with an AI tool – and whether the productivity is worth the tradeoffs.

Further reading:

Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery complete $110 billion media megamerger

Amazon reportedly pays $120 million to stream the Emmys for free

New leaks reveal more details about the Fitbit Edge including its price

A Trump Mobile breach may have exposed data of more than 3,600 people

OpenAI’s Dot agent can help you work and order dinner

Meta’s Muse AI agent is an effective helper and great at spending money

The Vergecast has been nominated for a Signal Award! You can vote to help us win here.

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 [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11.
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Welcome to the Bear Lair!* (No, it’s nothing like that other show.) As we continue to explore the world of AI tools and vibe coding, we invited a few enterprising Vergecast fans to share their projects — and we invited The Verge’s Hayden Field to judge them with us. We’ll see what people are working on, and whether any of them will make us fabulously wealthy.*We came up with this name before we became aware that someone else thought of it first... no relation to the APTNtv show Bears' Lair!

Further reading:

⁠Google admits not every Android app runs great on Intel Googlebooks⁠

⁠The Pixel 10A now costs $100 more.⁠

⁠Samsung raised prices on the Galaxy S26 by $100⁠

⁠Huawei says RAMageddon has increased its smartphone costs by $200.⁠

⁠2GB Raspberry Pis are getting pricier.⁠

⁠Nvidia’s Shield TV Pro just got a $100 price hike⁠

⁠Star Wars: Galactic Racer is my childhood podracing dream come true⁠

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 [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11.
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Is the key to turning around public opinion on AI just to make it cuter? Nilay Patel, Jake Kastrenakes and David Imel talk about the latest adorable agents that want access to all your data, then discuss whether this week's White House AI accord is worth the paper it's written on.

Plus: Gadgets, gadgets, gadgets! We speculate on Apple's rumored October 13 announcement, drool over Huawei's camera for your cameraphone, and herald the return of physical buttons in the new Kindle cases.

We wrap things up with the usual Brendan Carr is a Dummy and a lightning round full of Cybercabs, data centers, 'Old Reddit' and government chatbots.

Vote for us in the Signal Awards!

Vote Vergecast: Best Technology Podcast

Vote Version History: Best History Podcast

Vote Decoder: Best Business Podcast

Further reading:

OpenAI launches Dots, its Muse competitor

OpenAI plans to bring Dots to consumers, too.

Meta’s Muse AI sent a YouTuber’s address to a stranger

Maybe don’t let Muse run your Facebook Marketplace account.

Sam Altman says OpenAI won’t go public until its models are safe

Google announces Gemini 4 and says it’s so capable that only ‘trusted cyber defenders’ can have it right now

AI researchers put out videos saying superintelligence is ‘exactly as dangerous as it sounds’

Here’s how tech leaders will self-police AI safety under Trump’s deal

Here’s what AI leaders are saying about Trump’s new safety plan

Trump: “You’re going to see — data centers are going to be very popular.”

Trump orders US government to call AI ‘Super Intelligence’

Huawei made a whole camera to attach to its latest phone

Amazon is launching colorful new Kindles — and a case with physical page-turn buttons

Apple’s ‘HomePad’ will reportedly launch on October 13th

NBC News: FCC head says government-funded Trump ads are ‘normal’ and ‘don’t raise any red flags’

The People of Utah vs. Kevin O’Leary

Tesla’s Cybercab robotaxi rollout: the biggest news and announcements

The White House launched an AI chatbot for government-related questions.

Reddit says it has to cut back access to ‘Old Reddit’ because of AI bots

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 [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11.

0:00 Welcome

00:52 Awards and Listener Voting

01:36 Week Ahead Preview

01:52 OpenAI Dots vs Meta Muse

06:09 Living as Tasks

19:47 Business Models and Privacy

23:41 Bot Traffic and Web Friction

27:48 Trump Superintelligence Accord

37:46 Gadget Segment Kickoff

38:26 Huawei Screw On Lens Camera

41:33 Why Phone Camera Hybrids Fail

44:09 Pricey Phone Lens Debate

45:31 Kindle Lineup Upgrades

48:49 Apple Smart Home Display Rumors

01:02:58 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:08:27 America Gov Chatbot

01:14:54 Old Reddit Bot Crackdown

01:19:30 Utah Data Center Blowup

01:25:17 Cybercab Ride Report

01:27:31 Wrap Up And Plugs
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In this hotline episode, guest host David Imel answers your questions about digital cameras, iPods, E Ink phones, and the TI-84 graphing calculator being iced out of the Version History Hall of Fame.

Further reading:

Amazon is launching colorful new Kindles — and a case with physical page-turn buttons

NYC is now the first city in America that bans sketchy subscriptions

HP’s answer to the MacBook Neo is thinner, lighter, and comes with OLED

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

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Jolly's got new competition: OpenAI just launched its competitor to Muse and Grok Bot. It's called Dots, and the headline feature is that it's also cute, with fuzzy lil triangles and clouds and hearts that you can give access to your personal accounts to do things for you. The Verge's senior AI reporter Hayden Field joins guest host David Imel from San Francisco right after OpenAI's DevDay presentation.

Further reading:

OpenAI DevDay 2026: The biggest news and announcements

The Vergecast has been nominated for a Signal Award! You can vote to help us win here.

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The Pokémon Trading Card Game isn't just a game, it's an economy. Livestreamers provide vicarious dopamine hits to viewers who tune in to watch them open booster packs, and the rarest cards can resell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The game's 30th anniversary collection just launched, putting more copies of the game's rarest cards back into circulation. Guest host David Imel talks about the state of the Pokémon TCG market with The Verge's film, TV and pop culture reporter Charles Pulliam-Moore.

Further reading:

OpenAI launches Dots

Nothing Headphone 1 Pro

Your new Chromebook won’t get 10 years of ChromeOS support — because support now ends 2034.

Pokémon card scalpers have turned collecting into an online blood sport

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 [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11.
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It's a confusing time right now for gaming. Video games are becoming an increasingly expensive hobby. Games are expensive to make, too, and companies want to sell the most lucrative ones they can: Sony and Microsoft are cutting jobs to refocus on blockbusters. At the same time, we’ve got more ways to play than ever: handhelds, phones, even cloud gaming is getting better. So where are we headed? Today on The Vergecast, Sean Hollister asks that question of Shuhei Yoshida, who spent 31 years at Sony playing games and figuring out what gamers will pay for.

Further reading:

The smart home graveyard is getting crowded

There may be a way to save your June Oven after all

Nvidia says its new AI safety platform can contain rogue agents within ‘milliseconds’

Bose’s first wired earbuds in 11 years add noise canceling

Xbox is barely Xbox anymore

AI was everywhere at gaming’s big developer conference — except the games

Half of developers think gen AI is bad for the gaming industry

In 2025, AI became a lightning rod for gamers and developers

The golden age of handheld gaming is already over

The Steam Machine is the most ambitious game console I’ve ever played

The PS6 sure sounds like a handheld

The Steam Deck makes PlayStation’s biggest games portable

PlayStation exclusives aren’t coming to PC anymore

I regret buying the PSVR 2

Xbox exploring ‘radically different’ console business models

How Sony bought, and squandered, the future of gaming

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 [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11.
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Meta's Muse AI agent is cute (sometimes caked-up) and it performs well as a productivity tool. And, if you give it access to your social media and e-mail, it can know basically everything about you. This week on The Vergecast, Nilay Patel, Jake Kastrenakes and David Imel give their reactions to Mark Zuckerberg's demos at Wednesday's Meta Connect keynote. They also talk about the new glasses hardware, including the new VR glasses and audio-only, camera-free Ray-Bans.Then, we take a look at the newly-announced, chimeric Chrome/Android hybrid Googlebooks, find out why Brendan Carr is a dummy this week, analyze the Paramount merger, discuss what YouTube's A/B video testing means for the increasingly tenuous concept of a shared reality, and end on a surprisingly heartwarming story about RODECaster 4K support.

Further reading:

Meta Connect 2026: The 7 biggest announcements

Meta Connect 2026 live blog: On the ground at Mark Zuckerberg’s next big product launch

Meta’s Muse AI works and creeps me out

Amazon blocks Meta’s Muse AI agent

Meta ditches the camera on its newest smart glasses

Meta’s next VR device isn’t a headset — it’s glasses

These are the first five Googlebook laptops

Googlebooks feel like the first laptops built for Android owners

I got to see Google’s wild ideas about the future of laptops

The long dream of the Googlebook

Mahershala Ali On ‘Blade’ Being A Big Failure For Kevin Feige: “100%. He Should Feel That Way”

Paramount will need to release way more movies to make this merger work

Xbox is barely Xbox anymore

YouTube is cooking up new Live features.

Free Rodecaster Video firmware update adds 4K support.

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 [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11.

0:00 Welcome Back Banter

00:31 Meta Connect Setup

01:27 Muse First Impressions

05:28 Privacy Trust Gap

07:58 Pervert Glasses Debate

12:55 Passive Surveillance Reality

15:42 Is Muse Actually Winning

18:44 Muse Charm Post Phone

21:38 Do We Need Agents

26:12 Break And Return

26:29 New Meta Hardware

27:00 Audio Only Ray Bans

28:30 Muse Powered Glasses

31:15 Meta Bets on Muse

32:28 Hearing Aid Glasses Pitch

34:40 VR Glasses Return

39:04 Holograms and Splats

42:44 Google Books Arrive

44:57 Android Laptop Lock In

47:49 Windows Fatigue Debate

54:54 Hype Desk Blade Drama

57:14 Remembering Blade Chaos

01:00:37 Blade Reboot Frustrations

01:01:26 Sonos Sponsor Break

01:03:07 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:07:38 Lightning Round Kickoff

01:08:02 Meta Muse Mascot Chaos

01:09:26 Paramount Warner Deal Fallout

01:12:37 YouTube AI Channel Agents

01:14:05 A B Video Testing Ethics

01:21:25 Xbox Layoffs And Halo Shift

01:24:45 Rodecaster Free 4K Update

01:26:36 Muse Marketplace Haggling

01:27:35 Wrap Up And Next Episodes

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Meta and Snap both want to get on your face. The Verge's Victoria Song and Jay Peters tried out all the new hardware: Specs, audio-only Ray Bans, and Meta VR. Today, they join guest host David Imel to talk about how these new smart glasses feel, both physically and emotionally.

Further reading:

Meta’s next VR device isn’t a headset — it’s glasses

Meta ditches the camera on its newest smart glasses

I wore Snap’s $2,200 smart glasses

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 [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11.
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Transportation editor Andrew Hawkins is here to answer your questions about the confluence of cars and gadgets. Could a folding phone replace a dashboard display? What to do about the iPhone Pro Max not fitting the Tesla's built-in wireless charger? And we hear from a listener who -- shockingly -- doesn't care about CarPlay.

Further reading:

The car of the future is an EV golf cart

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

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Nvidia's new DLSS 5 (Deep Learning Super Sampling 5) rendering technology uses AI to (theoretically) improve video game graphics. When it was announced, social media declared that it was "yassifying" video game characters, changing faces in a way game developers didn't intend. Linus Tech Tips' own Linus Sebastian and David Gauthier join guest host David Imel to break down the the hype and controversy.

Further reading:

The Beats 360 are what I’d bring to the gym if I hated earbuds

Peloton is back with a ‘cheaper’ folding treadmill

Whoop and Peloton integration is finally here

Xbox is barely Xbox anymore

Apple’s first live music venue is opening beneath its UK headquarters

Nvidia’s DLSS 5, explained

DLSS 5: Has Nvidia’s AI graphics technology gone too far?

DLSS 5 looks like a real-time generative AI filter for video games

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

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We tried out the new Googlebooks, which are essentially Chromebooks evolved with an Android elemental stone. They're made by Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer, and Asus (not Google), but all have the new Googlebook OS, heavy Android phone and Gemini integration, and a built-in "Glowbar." Laptop reviewer Antonio G. Di Benedetto went hands-on with the new devices, and reports back to guest host David Imel.

Further reading:

⁠iPhone owners can now submit claims in Apple’s $250 million Siri AI settlement⁠

⁠The M5 Ultra Mac Studio tears through our benchmark tests⁠

⁠Gemini went rogue and hacked 3 companies⁠

⁠I got to see Google’s wild ideas about the future of laptops⁠

⁠These are the first five Googlebook laptops⁠

⁠Googlebooks feel like the first laptops built for Android owners⁠

⁠The long dream of the Googlebook⁠

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This week's iPhone 18 Pro discourse made aperture a priority, but today on Vergecast we zoom out to talk about the state of smart phone photography at large. Executive editor Jake Kastrenakes, guest host David Imel and senior reviewer Allison Johnson get into manual controls, "buckets of photons," and Apple and Google's strategies on how to prove a picture you took is real. Then, senior AI reporter Hayden Field returns to The Vergecast, just a few new revelations of misaligned behavior since her last appearance. She breaks down who's calling for a slowdown, who's full steam ahead, and the prisoner's dilemma facing the industry. And in the lightning round, we cover robotaxis calling the cops, the Boox Palma 3 e-reader, and the latest crop of intentionally low-quality digital cameras.

Further reading:

Version History: Oregon trail

iPhone 18 Pro review: it's all about the manual controls

The variable aperture isn’t the cool part of the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera

Apple’s new iPhone camera mode promises to prove your photo isn’t AI

Inside the suddenly explosive world of AI safety

Your robotaxi might be a narc

Waymo pulls over, calls cops on riders with a ghost gun

The Boox Palma 3 gets stylus support and a sleek redesign

Camp Snap’s 110D gives slim retro film cameras a digital upgrade

Fujifilm’s Instax Pal 2 is a tiny digital camera that may not disappoint

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0:00 Welcome and lineup00:30 Version History returns02:08 Oregon Trail livestream plug02:36 Apple camera geekout02:59 Apple's new CEO Emmy moment05:23 iPhone 18 Pro upgrades08:33 Pro controls usability11:46 RAW vs ProRAW explained14:35 Signal to noise deep dive21:35 Photographic styles debate25:25 Reference Image authenticity32:40 What we want next41:40 AI safety drama begins42:36 AI Safety Freakout46:10 Liability And Regulation51:34 China Race Narrative54:43 Pace The Frontier Plan55:54 Auditors Inside Labs01:00:22 Prisoners Dilemma Problem01:04:38 Accountability Dead End01:08:45 Waymo Calls The Cops01:14:56 The E Reader Race01:19:56 Tiny Retro Cameras01:26:32 Wrap Up And Goodbye

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Senior reviewers Allison Johnson and Victoria Song trade host and guest duties in a Vergecasting ouroboros that's never been attempted before and will probably never be attempted again. Allison talks about the iPhone 18 Pro's new camera, Victoria talks about the Watch 12 and Ultra 4's new sensors, and they both give their verdicts on who should upgrade.

Further reading:

The iPhone 18 Pro’s big camera update is all about the small gains

The Apple Watch Series 12 is the start of a new wearable era

Your ‘health age’ is fake

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Last week, an Anthropic researcher resigned and posted on X, "The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade." These warnings are nothing new, but this one managed to break into the mainstream. So, do the people making AI really think it could kill us all? How? And if it really could be as dangerous as they say, why would anyone continue to work on it? Senior AI reporter Hayden Field joined us to answer your questions about the AI freakout.

Further reading:

The iPhone 18 Pro’s big camera update is all about the small gains

Meta is reportedly ready to launch less pervy smart glasses

The Boox Palma 3 gets stylus support and a sleek redesign

Worried Anthropic researchers warn that AI ‘could kill all humans’

What execs and politicians are saying about slowing down AI development

Is Big Tech’s AI slowdown a safety pact or a cartel?

Trump and Mike Johnson think the AI industry is overreacting

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Two years ago, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt released his book, The Anxious Generation. In it, he argued that the rise of social media and smartphone use is to blame for the prominent decline in teen mental health since 2010. This month, psychology researcher Peter Gray takes on that narrative with his book, Restoring Childhood. In a conversation with senior policy reporter Lauren Feiner, Gray argues that school — not social media — is the real culprit.

Further reading:

The premium AirPods 5 are the best open-ear earbuds Apple has made

All dressed up with hardware to go.

A street photographer tested Dyson’s new CameraJet toothbrush.

What if social media isn’t hurting kids?

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Sean Hollister got his hands and face on Valve's new VR headset, the Steam Frame. It's expensive, starting at more than $1,000. It's buggy — he and CNET's Scott Stein both felt like beta testers as they reviewed it. But it's also full of interesting ideas, including the promise that Steam games could one day come to your mobile phone. This week on The Vergecast, Sean and Scott discuss who exactly this device is for, in a world that mostly seems to have moved on from VR.

Further reading:

Is it time for AI companies to press pause?

Waymo pulls over, calls cops on riders with a ghost gun

Your car is selling your data

LG responds to TV spying allegations

The Steam Frame is made for irresponsible hardware nerds like me

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Apple did the one more thing: This week it announced its much-anticipated folding phone. It also announced some surprising and controversial new AI features for Apple Watch, including "Live Rewind," which gives the user a text transcript of the last 15 seconds of real life.

On today's Vergecast, Allison Johnson and Vee Song report back from California after having more hands-on time with Apple's new devices. Plus, Nilay Patel and David Imel take another swing at discussing Mac Minis and local LLMs with AI researcher CJ Trowbridge. Finally, Allison and Jake tackle some non-Apple stories in the truly rapid-fire thunder round.

Further reading:

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Our first hands-on impressions

The variable aperture isn’t the cool part of the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera

Hands-on with the foldable iPhone Duo

Hands-on with the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4

Apple Watch Series 12 has an always-on Siri that makes AI recaps of your day

Read the Apple document explaining how new listening features still protect your privacy

Mathematicians want proof OpenAI didn’t use their work

OpenAI’s sly mathematical breakthrough sends a chill through academia

Drama swirls around OpenAI’s legendary mathematical milestone

The Trump phone just got a $250 price hike

Six years later, Sony revisits its legendary XM4 headphones

Hori’s electronic Ocarina of Time requires no musical talent.

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For years, big tech companies have embedded their products into the classroom whether through Google's Chromebooks or computer science curricula developed by Apple or Microsoft. The industry pushed a generation of kids to foster coding skills with the promise of high-paying jobs. Now, those students are finding themselves less in demand as AI takes over, and the industry seems to be repeating its playbook. Senior policy reporter Lauren Feiner talks to Natasha Singer, author of the new book "Coding Kids," about how big tech worked its way into the classroom, and why Natasha is optimistic about educators’ response to the AI push.

Further reading:

Schools are catching on to Big Tech’s playbook

Worried Anthropic researchers warn that AI ‘could kill all humans’

Meta’s Muse AI works and creeps me out

Another big James Talarico interview is punted to YouTube due to FCC threats

Apple asks: have you ever imagined iOS devices doin’ it?

⁠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 ⁠[email protected]⁠ or call us at 866-VERGE11.
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Live from Apple Park, Nilay Patel and Victoria Song join Jake Kastrenakes, Dominic Preston and Cameron Faulkner to talk about the iPhone Duo and the new Apple Watches. We also talk about the new iPhone 18 Pro's variable aperture and the AirPods 5.

Further reading:

All the news from Apple’s ‘Surprise and shine’ event

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