The Vergecast

Nilay, Dieter, and Adi discuss the latest Section 230 congressional hearing featuring the CEOs of big tech. Ashley Carman stops by to talk about how gadget makers are turning to shopping channels to market their products.

Stories from this week:

• San Francisco and Oakland phase out Verily COVID-19 testing sites
• White House officials considered Elon Musk for coronavirus ad campaign
• We need to rebuild America’s pandemic-fighting agencies
• Streaming was part of the future — now it’s the only future 
• Lime’s CEO on the future of scooters: ‘COVID has turned from a headwind into a tailwind’
• Mark Zuckerberg just told Congress to upend the internet
• The latest Section 230 hearing showed that Republicans want to make the internet smaller
• The Right’s Regulator in Chief
• Gadget makers’ biggest risk could be a huge reward
• Influencers’ next frontier: their own live shopping channels
• Everyone on Instagram will soon be able to go live for four hours
• Facebook will test shopping from Reels later this year
• Motorola Razr 2020 review: 5G folding flip phone feels fine
• LG Wing review: learning to fly, failing to soar 
• Verizon’s Yahoo zombie appears again as a purple phone
• First iPhone 12 mini hands-on video shows just how tiny it is
• Mophie’s new wirelessly charging battery pack clips onto the back of your phone
• T-Mobile expands its faster midband 5G network, nearly doubling its coverage
• Microsoft Surface Pro X (2020) review: ARM gets more muscle
• Amazon Echo Dot (2020) review: have a ball
• T-Mobile expands into live internet TV with new TVision streaming service
• PS5 in photos: our first look at Sony’s next-gen console
• PS5 vs. Xbox Series X: the next-gen consoles in photos
• Astro’s Playroom is the perfect showcase for the PS5’s wild DualSense controller
• Control is coming to the Nintendo Switch today, but you can only stream it from the cloud
• Vizio and LG’s next-gen-ready OLED TVs are up to $500 off at Best Buy
• Meet the 24-year-old who’s tracking every broken McDonald’s ice-cream machine in the US

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Every Tuesday this month, Vergecast co-host Dieter Bohn is hosting a series of discussions diving deep into tech review season, each focusing on a specific product.

This week, Dieter brings back Vergecast co-host Nilay Patel and senior personal technology columnist at The Wall Street Journal Joanna Stern to discuss their reviews of the latest iteration of the iPhone.

Dieter reviewed the iPhone 12, Nilay reviewed the iPhone 12 Pro, and Joanna reviewed them both side by side. The trio discusses what they focused on in their reviews — like 5G, Dolby Vison, and MagSafe — and how significant the upgrades are for this year’s devices.

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Dieter Bohn and Nilay Patel talk to Julia Alexander about Quibi shutting down, Adi Robertson about the US government filing antitrust charges against Google, and Josh Dzieza about his report on Wisconsin's empty Foxconn factory.

Stories from this week:

• The ambitious effort to piece together America’s fragmented health data 
• Microsoft wants to cut down pollution from its business travel  
• Is Quibi done for?
• Quibi is shutting down
• 11 reasons why Quibi crashed and burned in less than a year
• Quibi’s top executives are ready to blame themselves, not just the pandemic, for Quibi failing
• Watch AOC play Among Us live on Twitch with HasanAbi and Pokimane
• The US government has filed antitrust charges against Google
• Who is Google’s market power hurting?
• Senate committee approves subpoenas for Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey
• How to retweet using Twitter’s new temporary format
• Republican lawmakers are furious after Twitter asks users to read stories before retweeting
• Facebook’s independent oversight board is now accepting cases
• The 8th Wonder of the World
• Exclusive: Wisconsin report confirms Foxconn’s so-called LCD factory isn’t real
• Apple iPad Air (2020) review: take it from the Pro
• Amazon Echo (2020) review: music of the sphere
• Beats Flex review: wireless earbud basics done right

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Every Tuesday this month, Vergecast co-host Dieter Bohn hosts a series of discussions diving deep into tech review season, each focusing on a specific product.

This week, Dieter talks with managing editor of Android Central Daniel Bader and Android Police editor-in-chief David Ruddock about the Google’s Pixel 5.

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Stories from this week:

• Apple’s iPhone 12 event: the 7 biggest announcements
• Apple announces iPhone 12 with OLED screen and 5G speeds
• iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max announced with larger displays, updated design, and 5G
• Apple announces iPhone 12 mini, the ‘smallest and lightest 5G phone in the world’
• Apple’s new iPhone 12 line-up comes with a ceramic-hardened display
• Apple’s new iPhones won’t ship with earbuds or wall chargers
• Apple cuts EarPods and iPhone charger prices by $10 after it stops bundling them
• Apple’s iPhone 12 can wirelessly charge twice as fast, but only with a MagSafe charger
• Apple’s revived MagSafe charging standard opens the door for a portless iPhone
• The iPhone 12 Pro Max could be Apple’s biggest camera jump in years
• Breaking down Apple’s three new iPhone 12 camera systems
• Here’s how you’ll know when you’re on Verizon’s fast or slow 5G on an iPhone 12
• The iPhone 12’s mysterious groove is a 5G mmWave antenna window — and it’s exclusive to the US
• Apple’s iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini cost $30 extra for anyone who’s not an AT&T or Verizon customer
• Apple announces smaller HomePod mini for $99
• Apple’s HomePod will soon support Dolby Atmos with the Apple TV 4K
• Beats announces $50 Beats Flex earbuds with USB-C and 12-hour battery life

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Every Tuesday this month, Vergecast co-host Dieter Bohn hosts a series of discussions diving deep into tech review season, each focusing on a specific product.

This week, Dieter talks with MKBHD aka Marques Brownlee about the various phones released by Samsung this year, from the S20 Ultra to the Z Fold 2 5G. The two also discuss the process of reviewing different tiers of phones and how it's changing the smartphone market.

This episode was brought to you by Novartis. To learn more about Cell and Gene Therapy visit vox.com/ad/novartis

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Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn bring in Russell Brandom and Adi Robertson to discuss congressional report about whether Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Google are violating antitrust law.

Dan Seifert stops by to discuss Apple's upcoming iPhone event on October 13th.

Links:

• Global TV shipments hit record high last quarter, report says
• America’s internet wasn’t prepared for online school
• I regularly forget that I have New York’s COVID-19 exposure notification app
• Congress releases blockbuster tech antitrust report
• What Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook have at stake in the antitrust fight
• Apple made ProtonMail add in-app purchases, even though it had been free for years
• Oracle and Google’s Supreme Court showdown was a battle of metaphors
• Apple quietly stops selling Bose, Sonos and some Logitech gear — only Apple audio remains
• The Supreme Court is taking on Google and Oracle one last time
• Apple’s next iPhone will be announced on October 13th
• Apple Watch SE review: pay a lot less to give up only a little
• Why Apple needed the FDA to sign off on its EKG but not its blood oxygen monitor
• The Apple Watch heart monitor sends too many people to the doctor
• YouTube 4K has come to Apple TV, but we’re waiting on HDR, 60fps, and iPhone/iPad playback
• Disney movies are now available in 4K on Apple’s iTunes store
• Apple sues recycling partner for reselling more than 100,000 iPhones, iPads, and Watches it was hired to dismantle 
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE review: the right price for the right stuff
• Samsung Galaxy Note 20 review: stylus tax
• Google Nest Audio review: the sweet spot
• Google Fi now directly sells Samsung phones and adds a new 5G map
• G Suite is now Google Workspace in a bid to merge Gmail, Chat, and Docs
• Gmail has a new logo that’s a lot more Google
• More early Prime Day 2020 deals have kicked off on Amazon
• Meet Ricky Desktop, the most viral beatmaker on TikTok
• SPACs, explained

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Every Tuesday this month, Vergecast co-host Dieter Bohn hosts a series of discussions diving deep into tech review season, each focusing on a specific product.

This week, Dieter talks with YouTube's UrAvgConsumer about how the recently announced Google Pixel 5 shares some common ground with Google's 2013 smartphone project the Nexus 5.

This episode was brought to you by Novartis. To learn more about Cell and Gene Therapy visit vox.com/ad/novartis

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Nilay, Dieter, Dan, and Chris discuss all the announcements from Google's fall hardware event from this week, as well as Sonos suing Google for infringing five more wireless audio patents.

Links:

• If you’re sick this fall, you’ll probably get two virus tests
• The coronavirus pandemic by the numbers
• Google announces the Pixel 5 for $699
• Google announces Pixel 4A 5G with larger 6.2-inch display for $499
• Verizon has an exclusive Pixel 4A 5G that’s $100 more expensive
• Google says the Pixel’s Soli radar and Motion Sense will return
• Can the Pixel 5 camera still compete using the same old aging sensor?
• The Pixel 5 and 4A 5G play it safe
• Google Chromecast (2020) review: reinvented — and now with a remote
• Google announces new Chromecast with the new Google TV interface
• The new Chromecast with Google TV won’t officially support Stadia at launch
• Google Play Movies & TV is now Google TV but it’s not the same Google TV that runs on Android TV on the new Chromecast, it’s an app
• New Chromecast works as a cheap but unsupported xCloud streamer
• The Home Depot is selling a new Google Chromecast that hasn’t been announced
• Sonos sues Google for infringing five more wireless audio patents
• The new Roku Ultra has Dolby Vision and improved Wi-Fi performance
• Roku is adding support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit later this year
• Roku’s Streambar is a compact soundbar with built-in streaming smarts
• Google’s new Nest Audio smart speaker is official, costs $99.99
• A week with the Xbox Series X: load times, game performance, and more
• Microsoft’s new $549 Surface Laptop Go aims to compete with Chromebooks
• Microsoft’s updated Surface Pro X has a faster processor and new platinum color option
• Apple Watch Series 6 review: minute improvements
• The Apple Watch heart monitor sends too many people to the doctor

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Every Tuesday this month, Vergecast co-host Dieter Bohn hosts a series of discussions diving deep into tech review season, each focusing on a specific product.

This week, Dieter talks with senior personal technology columnist at The Wall Street Journal and Verge alum Joanna Stern about Apple's Watch Series 6.

Dieter and Joanna also discuss the process of reviewing gadgets on video and the complications of reviewing a product that has this many variants.

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Nilay, Dieter, and Dan discuss all the important announcements from Amazon's fall hardware event this week, from a security drone for your home to a new cloud gaming service.

Stories discussed this week:

• CDC removes guidance about airborne spread of the coronavirus
• Averting a COVID-19 vaccination crisis will take careful communication
• Ring’s latest security camera is a drone that flies around inside your house
• Ring announces new line of security cameras for cars
• Amazon will launch a new location-tracking mesh network system later this year
• Amazon’s fall hardware event: the 13 biggest announcements
• Amazon redesigns the Echo with a new spherical design and a custom machine learning processor
• Amazon’s new Echo show 10 moves to look at you 
• Amazon’s Echo Show smart displays will soon stream Netflix video
• Amazon’s AZ1 Neural Edge processor will make Alexa voice commands even faster
• Alexa’s latest upgrades help it listen to multiple people and ask clarifying questions
• Amazon unveils new Guard Plus subscription for $4.99 per month
• Amazon announces new cloud gaming service called Luna
• Amazon’s Luna game streaming service is powered by Windows and Nvidia GPUs
• Amazon announces $29.99 Fire TV Stick Lite and upgraded Fire TV Stick
• The latest Eero mesh Wi-Fi routers support Wi-Fi 6
• iPad 2020 review
• iOS 14 and iPadOS review: iPhone revolution, iPad evolution
• iOS 14 basics: how to add widgets to your iPhone’s home screen
• Fitbit Sense review: enough bugs to raise your heart rate 

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Every Tuesday this month, Vergecast co-host Dieter Bohn hosts a series of discussions diving deep into tech review season, each focusing on a specific product.

This week, Dieter and Verge deputy editor Dan Seifert talks with Engadget's Cherlynn Low about Microsoft's Surface Duo.

The trio discuss how the process of reviewing this device differs from others in the past, where it stands in the phone and tablet market, and other notable points from Dieter and Cherlynn's time with the Duo that didn't make it into the review.

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Nilay, Dieter, Chaim, and Nicole discuss Apple's newly announced products including the Apple Watch Series 6 and the new iPad Air. Also discussed: the PS5 announced pricing, Oculus has a new headset, and TikTok acquisition news continues to brew.

More stories from this episode:

• Apple Watch’s blood oxygen monitor is for ‘wellness,’ not medicine
• Apple is creating a fitness subscription service called Fitness Plus
• The new Apple Watch Series 6 has blood oxygen monitoring
• The Apple Watch Series 6: first impressions of a very good smartwatch
• The Apple Watch SE is a new lower-cost Watch
• New Apple Watches won’t have a USB power adapter in the box
• Family Setup lets you manage multiple Apple Watches from one iPhone
• There’s a new iPad Air that looks a lot like an iPad Pro
• The updated eighth-generation iPad has a familiar design but a new processor
• New Apple One subscription bundles pack multiple services together
• Nvidia is acquiring Arm for $40 billion 
• The PS5 will launch on November 12th for $499.99
• PS5 Digital Edition launches November 12th for $399.99
• Connect 7: All the news from Facebook and Oculus’ big VR / AR event
• Oculus Quest 2 review: better, cheaper VR
• Oculus’ new Quest 2 VR headset starts at $299 and ships October 13th
• Mark Zuckerberg on why he doesn’t want to ‘put an Apple Watch on your face’
• Google to launch Pixel 5, new Chromecast, and smart speaker on September 30th
• Oracle reportedly wins deal for TikTok’s US operations as ‘trusted tech partner’
• Trump to decide on TikTok Oracle deal with Walmart as an …

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There’s a lot of information coming and going about the coronavirus, and the next steps for vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 — The Verge even has a newsletter dedicated to it.

But how do we asses all this information in a logical way, to prevent confusion, chaos, or something worse? The Verge’s Nilay Patel, Mary Beth Griggs and Nicole Wetsman talked to Dr. Natalie Dean, assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida, about what we know so far about the timeline of a COVID-19 vaccine, and the best way to evaluate the flood of information coming in every day.

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Nilay, Dieter, and Tom discuss reviews of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 2, Microsoft's Surface Duo, and Android 11. Also, previews of the Xbox Series X and Series S.

Stories from this week:

• White House reportedly moves to eliminate COVID-19 security theater at airports
• Trump’s latest attack on Section 230 is really about censoring speech
• Microsoft Surface Duo review: double troubles
• How Microsoft built its folding Android phone 
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 review: an extravagant success 
• Android 11 review: features by the dozen
• Welcome to the next generation of gaming
• Microsoft’s new Xbox Series S is surprisingly small in size and price
• A first look at Microsoft’s new Xbox Series X console
• Microsoft confirms $299 Xbox Series S console
• Microsoft reveals Xbox Series S specs, promises four times the processing power of Xbox One
• Xbox Series X launches on November 10th for $499
• Your move, PS5
• Xbox Game Pass is adding EA’s Play subscription service at no extra cost
• Xbox Game Pass for PC is doubling its price next week
• A closer look at Nvidia’s new RTX 3080
• Apple announces ‘Time Flies’ event for September 15th
• Apple Music for Android contains mentions of rumored ‘Apple One’ services bundle
• iPhone 12: everything we think we know about Apple’s 2020 5G iPhones

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The Verge's Nilay Patel talks with former Google engineer Marc Levoy about his move to Adobe, the state of the smartphone camera, and the future of computational photography.

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Nilay, Dieter, Chaim, and Chris dive deep into all the gadget news that dominated this week, including all the announcements at IFA 2020's virtual event showcase.

Stories discussed this week:

• Apple and Google announce new automatic app system to track COVID exposures 
• Apple releases iOS 13.7 with support for new automatic COVID-19 notification system
• The CDC’s testing guidance will make the pandemic worse
• Emergency COVID-19 vaccines will have to convince a skeptical public
• Robert Pattinson reportedly has COVID-19, and The Batman has halted production
• Super Mario 3D World and other classic Mario games are coming to the Switch
• Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a Switch racer that uses RC cars
• Nintendo is releasing a 35th anniversary Super Mario Bros. Game and Watch
• Intel announces its new 11th Gen Tiger Lake CPUs, available ...
• Intel debuts a new logo alongside its 11th Gen chips
• Asus’ latest ZenBook laptops feature Intel’s 11th Gen CPUs and Thunderbolt 4 ports
• Acer’s new Swift laptops include Intel’s 11th Gen processors
• Toshiba laptops are no more, but here are Dynabook’s new notebooks with Intel’s 11th Gen parts
• Samsung launches Galaxy Book Flex 5G, the first 5G Intel Evo laptop
• Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080: launching September 17th for …
• Nvidia's new RTX 3090 is a $1,499 monster GPU designed for ...
• Qualcomm's next budget Snapdragon 4-series chips could ...
• Qualcomm’s 8cx Gen 2 5G processor promises a new wave of better ARM-based laptops
• Qualcomm hopes to topple AirPods Pro with ‘adaptive’ noise cancellation for true wireless earbuds
• Sonos patent gives possible first look at unannounced headphones
• Bang & Olufsen’s $800 noise-canceling headphones copy the best part of Microsoft’s Surface Headphones
• Samsung announces The Premiere, a luxury ultra-short throw 4K laser projector
• The new Philips Hue lightstrip mounts to your TV and syncs with what’s on-screen
• Lenovo Smart Clock 
• 8BitDo made a mod-friendly, wireless arcade stick for the Nintendo Switch and
• Asus Zenfone 7 Pro review: fun flipping cameras with a bulky phone attached
• Samsung announces its cheapest 5G phone and new Trio …

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Nilay Patel talks with Verge reporter Bijan Stephen and video producer Mariya Abdulkaf about The Verge's new multimedia project Capturing the Police.

Capturing the Police is a project from The Verge about how people use technology to bring awareness of police brutality and racism — and what it costs them when they agitate for justice.

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Wired's Lauren Goode returns to the show to discuss Microsoft's soon-to-be released Surface Duo, Amazon's new fitness tracker, and an update on Apple's battle with Epic over the App Store. 

Stories this week:

• FDA authorizes Abbott’s fast $5 COVID-19 test
• FDA authorizes convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 
• Tracking COVID-19 through symptom monitoring will be harder when flu season starts
• Facebook chose not to act on militia complaints before Kenosha shooting
• Facebook takes down ‘call to arms’ event after two shot dead in Kenosha 
• Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman interview
• Amazon announced Halo, a fitness band and app that scans your body and voice
• Amazon Look review (2017)
• Fitbit’s new Sense smartwatch can take your skin’s temperature to help you manage stress
• Microsoft Flight Simulator players are flying into Hurricane Laura
• Fall Guys is the feel-good game of the summer
• Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2 doesn’t have a release date, but you can already watch this review
• This could be the first real picture of the Pixel 5
• Sony Xperia 5 II leak reveals a new 120Hz display and a headphone jack
• The Asus Zenfone 7 adds a third lens to its neat flipping camera
• LG’s swiveling ‘Wing’ phone allegedly revealed in video leak
• TikTok sues Trump administration over US ban
• Kevin Mayer quits as TikTok CEO due to ongoing political turmoil
• Walmart says it’s partnering with Microsoft on a TikTok deal
• Epic judge will protect Unreal Engine — but not Fortnite
• Why Epic can’t afford to lose the Unreal Engine in its legal fight with Apple
• Read the emails between Epic and Apple that led to Fortnite’s App Store ban
• Apple is holding the Unreal Engine hostage, Epic says in new motion
• Epic confirms Fortnite’s new season won’t be on iPhone, iPad, or Mac
• Fortnite is splitting into two different games because of Epic and Apple’s fight
• Apple apologizes to WordPress, won’t force the free app to add purchases after all
• Fortnite on iOS already feels empty and dated
•  Apple’s move to make advertising harder on iOS 14 is part of a trend
• Announcing the Get Wired podcast

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Antitrust criticism of big tech companies like Google, Apple, and Amazon have been louder than ever — from the consumers to the tech companies who compete with them. Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman has been vocal for years about the problem with Google’s dominant market share in maps, local search, and reviews.

“I’ve been working on it for over a decade and it’s great to see that more people have jumped on board.” Stoppelman says. “When we started out criticizing Google and highlighting some of their abuses, we got — especially from Silicon Valley — so many eye rolls.”

The Verge’s Nilay Patel and Casey Newton recently caught up with Stoppelman to discuss the evolving view of the media and the public on the tech monopolies, as well as how Yelp is handling their competition and what possible changes can be made with regulation from the government.

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Dieter, Dan, and Becca discuss reviews of Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy Buds Live, and Galaxy Watch 3. They also discuss a potential BlackBerry phone coming to the market...in 2021. 

Stories from this week:

• Attack of the gaiters 
• Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review
• How Samsung’s beans broke the mold of wireless earbuds
• iFixit’s Galaxy Buds Live teardown shows that even Samsung calls them beans
• Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review: good sound, unique …
• Google’s Pixel Buds are now available in more colors nearly four months after launch
• Google’s Pixel Buds get new transcribe mode, attention alerts, and sharing detection
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 review: time for a change
• Fossil updates its Gen 5 smartwatches with sleep tracking and more fitness features
• The Nubia Watch is a decadent OLED smart bracelet
• New images of Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Sense leak
• Epic says Apple threatens ‘catastrophic’ response in two weeks if Fortnite doesn’t comply with rules
• Apple tells Epic ‘we won’t make an exception’ for Fortnite
• Uber CEO on the fight in California: ‘We can’t go out and hire 50,000 people overnight’
• Here’s your best look yet at ZTE’s first smartphone with an under-display camera
• Apple is now a $2 trillion company
• A new 5G BlackBerry phone with Android and a physical …

theverge.com/newsletters

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Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to Lana Swartz, assistant professor of media studies at the University of Virginia about her new book New Money: How Payment Became Social Media.

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Nilay, Dieter, Tom, and Dan discuss the timeline of events that lead to Epic Games suing Apple and Google after being kicked out of mobile app stores. They also discuss Microsoft's announcement of the Surface Duo's release date and technical specs.

Stories discussed this episode:

• Big Tech pledged a billion to racial justice, but it was pocket change
• US passes 5 million coronavirus cases
• Big airlines are hoarding cash to survive the pandemic
• Vaping linked to higher risk of COVID-19 in teens and young adults, study finds
• Microsoft opens xCloud game streaming beta early on Tuesday
• Apple confirms cloud gaming services like xCloud and Stadia violate App Store guidelines
• Microsoft condemns Apple’s App Store policies
• Facebook slams Apple’s App Store policies, launches Facebook Gaming on iOS without games
• Fortnite vs Apple vs Google: a brief and very incomplete timeline
• Epic offers new direct payment in Fortnite on iOS and Android to get around app store fees
• Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store
• Watch Epic’s Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite short mocking Apple right here
• Epic Games is suing Apple
• Fortnite for Android has also been kicked off the Google Play Store
• Epic is suing Google over Fortnite’s removal from the Google Play Store
• Google forced OnePlus to decimate a Fortnite launcher deal, claims Epic Games
• Fortnite vs Apple vs Google: a brief and very incomplete timeline
• Epic rallies Fortnite players against Apple with a warning that they’ll miss the next season
• Microsoft’s Surface Duo arrives on Sept 10th for $1,399
• Microsoft releases Surface Duo press event video with 30 minutes of demos
• The Xbox Series X could launch on November 6th
• Microsoft’s new Xbox Series S console confirmed in leaked controller packaging
• When I don’t buy the new Xbox, Microsoft will laugh all the way to the bank
• Android is becoming a worldwide earthquake detection network
• Google is re-adding a Calendar app to Android Auto so you can see how to get to your next appointment
• Google Maps finally works with CarPlay’s excellent dashboard mode
• Google promises the next Wear OS update will launch apps up to 20 percent faster

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Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks with New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz about what actually happens to TikTok users, creators, and the influencer economy if a ban on the app was implemented in the United States.

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Nilay, Dieter, Becca, Chris, and Dan discuss the products announced at Samsung's virtual event this week, as well as the Google Pixel 4a review, a new 27-inch iMac, and Greg Joswiak replacing Phil Schiller as head of Apple marketing.

Stories discussed this week:

• Apple and Google’s COVID-19 tracking system will make its full US debut in new Virginia app
• We can’t skip steps on the road to a COVID-19 vaccine
• Twitter blocked Trump campaign account from tweeting over COVID-19 misinformation
• Facebook removes Trump post for falsely claiming children are ‘almost immune’ to COVID-19
• One tweet tried to identify a cop — then five people were charged with felony harassment
• President Trump withdraws FCC renomination after 5G controversy
• Donald Trump trying to control the FCC is a ‘disaster,’ says Sen. Ron Wyden
• President Trump says he will ban TikTok in the US today
• How the Trump administration could ‘ban’ TikTok
• Apple is not interested in buying TikTok
• Instagram launches Reels, its attempt to keep you off TikTok
• Google announced Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 4a all at once
• Pixel 4a review
• Galaxy Note 20 first look 
• The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is Samsung’s big promise that it can fix its foldable future
• Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review
• The best part of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is its screen
• Sony WH-1000XM4 review
• Greg Joswiak replaces Phil Schiller as head of Apple marketing
• The new 27-inch iMac’s webcam isn’t just better; it’s smarter
• Scientists rename human genes to stop Microsoft Excel from misreading them as dates

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The Verge's Nilay Patel and Adi Robertson talk to Senator Ron Wyden, who co-authored Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

Wyden discusses the forced sale of TikTok to a US-based company, the bills out to reform Section 230, his new privacy bill preventing law enforcement from buying data on the open market, and how Trump's handling of recent FCC nominations is a "disaster."

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Nilay, Makena, Adi, and Casey discuss the important moments from Congress' antitrust hearing with Apple’s Tim Cook, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Google’s Sundar Pichai.

Stories discussed this week:

• Antivirus: A weekly digest of the latest COVID-19 research
• Kodak is branching out into pharmaceuticals with US investment
• Twitter forced Donald Trump Jr. to delete tweet spreading COVID-19 misinformation
• Moms in Tech Facebook group splintering over allegations of racism
• Google will keep employees working remotely until July 2021
• NASA’s life-hunting Mars rover is officially on its way to the Red Planet
• Tech antitrust hearing: all the news, updates, and documents from Congress’ big moment
• Everything you need to know from the tech antitrust hearing
• What Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Apple have in common
• Antitrust panel says the messages show Zuckerberg trying to buy out his competition
• Jeff Bezos can’t promise Amazon employees don’t access independent seller data
• Google’s business model ‘is the problem,’ David Cicilline says
• The iconic Flip Video almost became Google’s first camera, emails show
• Amazon bought Ring for market position, not technology, emails suggest
• Read Steve Jobs’ emails about why you can’t buy digital books in Amazon’s apps
• Facebook usage and revenue continue to grow as the pandemic rages on
• Google parent company Alphabet sees its first revenue decline in history
• Apple reports strong Mac and iPad sales in record-breaking Q3 earnings

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Verge editor-in-chief talks with Wired senior editor Andy Greenberg, author of Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers.

Greenberg's book is all about a group of hackers inside the Russian government called Sandworm, who were responsible for damaging cyber warfare attacks in various countries over the past few years.

Andy and Nilay discuss the origins of Sandworm, the intricacies of their attacks, and how they escalated what we think of as "cyber war."

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Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn talk with Casey Newton and Makena Kelly about what to expect at the upcoming big tech antitrust hearings featuring Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sundar Pichai. Megan Farokhmanesh and Andrew Webster return to discuss the games announced at the Xbox Games Showcase this week.

Stories from this week:

• New COVID testing strategy could speed up backlogged labs
• ‘COVID parties’ are a pandemic urban legend that won’t go away
• The tech antitrust hearing is shaping up to be one for the ages
• Antitrust investigations aren’t the biggest threat to Facebook’s future
• The big winner in Slack’s Microsoft fight could be Google
• Xbox Games Showcase: all the news from Microsoft’s July 2020 event
• Sony’s first vlogging camera almost nails it 
• Latest iOS 14 beta offers more evidence of a 5.4-inch iPhone
• Alexa will soon be able to launch Android and iOS apps using voice commands
• Samsung promises new mobile and TV products at virtual September event
• Blurry Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 leak hints at camera upgrades and gold model
• Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 Ultra may try to be the Xbox Phone
• This is what Samsung’s bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live will look like in your ears
• The brain behind the Google Pixel camera is building a universal camera app for Adobe
• Windows 10X might not arrive until 2021

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Cybersecurity journalist Kim Zetter talks with The Verge's Nilay Patel and Russell Brandom about the state of election security in the US — what methods are being proposed to stop potential interference in the voting process, the problems with mail-in voting during a pandemic, and how voting machines are not always the best solution for a presidential election.

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The Verge's Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn, Russell Brandom, and Julia Alexander discuss an unprecedented Twitter hack this week, the release of NBCUniversal's new streaming service Peacock, and the potential restrictions on TikTok in the US.

Stories discussed this week:

• White House reportedly orders hospitals to bypass CDC during COVID-19 data collection
• CDC employees say the agency has a culture of ‘racial aggression’
• Etsy sellers are offering sheer mesh face masks that provide ‘very little protection’
• Seventeen states sue Trump administration over new student visa guidelines
• Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Elon Musk, Apple, and others hacked in unprecedented Twitter attack
• Twitter shut off the ability for many people to tweet after massive hack
• Twitter reveals that its own employee tools contributed to unprecedented hack
• Lawmakers demand more details on Twitter’s massive hack
• The massive Twitter hack could be a global security crisis
• Twitter says passwords were spared in yesterday’s attack, but it’s still working to restore locked accounts
• The FBI opens investigation into Twitter attack over national security concerns
• White House says restrictions on TikTok could come in ‘weeks, not months’
• TikTok’s biggest problem is outside its control
• Peacock’s interface aims to recreate the feeling of live TV, but it comes up short 
• Why Peacock and HBO Max aren’t on the biggest streaming platforms
• How to stream Peacock
• Netflix names content chief Ted Sarandos as co-CEO
• Netflix adds another whopping 10 million subscribers, but warns growth may slow
• Microsoft discontinues Xbox One X and Xbox One S digital edition ahead of Series X launch
• Xbox Series X can play all Xbox One games, unless they use Kinect
• Microsoft to launch xCloud streaming free with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in September

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The Verge's Why’d You Push That Button? is back for a special episode all about virtual dating in 2020. The pandemic has forced us all to stay at home when we can, which means if you want to go on a date, it may have to be done online.

Ashley Carman and Kaitlyn Tiffany return to talk to online daters and app makers about how they are adapting to virtual-only dating, and what features and behaviors will stick around after social distancing and the pandemic end.

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Nilay Patel talks to Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change.

Color of Change, an online racial justice organization, is one of the groups leading the ad boycott against Facebook and other social media companies in response to hate speech appearing on the platforms.

In the interview, Robinson talks about how the boycott campaign came together; his history pushing Facebook on issues of hate speech and civil rights; and meeting with Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, and fellow leaders of the boycott to discuss the Facebook civil rights audit and how the company can improve the platform.

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Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn, and Dan Seifert discuss Apple's iOS14 public beta, the future of Google's phones, and what to expect at Samsung's next hardware event.

Stories discussed this week:

• This isn’t a COVID-19 wave — it’s a tsunami
• Tracing the link between your phone and the next pandemic
• Doctors are better at treating COVID-19 patients now than they were in March
• After the pandemic, doctors want their new robot helpers to stay
• Facebook and Instagram will remind people to wear face masks
• White YouTube creators struggle to address past use of racist characters
• Everything that the big social networks banned this week, ranked
• Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Starbucks, Target, Unilever, Verizon: all the companies pulling ads from Facebook
• Facebook auditors call out Mark Zuckerberg for ‘vexing and heartbreaking decisions’
• iOS 14’s public beta is rolling out today
• iOS and iPadOS 14 public beta preview: something for everybody
• Reddit says it’s fixing code in its iOS app that copied clipboard contents
• LinkedIn says it will stop repeatedly copying iOS clipboard
• Apple promises to support Thunderbolt on its new ARM Macs
• Intel’s Thunderbolt 4 standard looks to raise the bar for USB-C devices
• Google’s Pixel 3A is discontinued, but these retailers are still selling it
• Samsung reportedly won’t include chargers with some phones starting next year
• Samsung needs a splashy product for its splashy product launch
• Mysterious new Samsung wearable revealed in FCC filings
• Logitech is already giving up on its Alexa-powered Harmony remote control
• Google’s upcoming Nest speaker revealed in regulatory filing
• BMW is going all-in on in-car microtransactions
• A weakened version of the EARN IT Act advances out of committee
• Fading Light: the story of Magic Leap’s lost mixed reality magnum opus
• I built my own camera with a Raspberry Pi 4

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Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to founder and CEO of Luta Security Katie Moussouris.

Moussouris has a long history in computer security, working at Microsoft and the Department of Defense creating their first bug bounty programs to incentivize catching and reporting security bugs and vulnerabilities in software systems.

Nilay and Katie discuss the good and bad of bug bounties, encryption dilemmas with consumer devices, voting security in elections, and overall how we keep our software and networks secure.

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This week we’re sharing an episode of Land of the Giants, a podcast from our friends at Recode and the Vox Media Podcast Network that examines the most powerful tech companies of our time.

The second season is called The Netflix Effect, and it’s hosted by Recode editors Rani Molla and Peter Kafka.

The Netflix Effect explores how a company that began as a small DVD-by-mail service ultimately upended Hollywood and completely changed the way we watch TV.

It’s a fascinating look at what really goes on behind the scenes at Netflix, one of the few companies that’s actually growing during the pandemic, and how they’re continuing to transform entertainment for you and me.  

New episodes are released every Tuesday morning. 

 listen and subscribe to Land of the Giants: The Netflix Effect wherever you get The Vergecast.

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Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn welcome back Verge alum and Wall Street Journal columnist Joanna Stern to discuss the big announcements from Apple's developer conference this week. Verge news editor Chaim Gartenberg joins in the second half to discuss the Apple updates you may have missed.

Stories discussed this week:

• Fire and plague prepared these teens for the world
• New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will quarantine travelers from states with surging COVID-19 cases
• The EU plans to ban US travelers indefinitely after haphazard COVID-19 response
• The healing power of Black art
• Big Sur is officially macOS 11.0 as Apple finally leaves OS X behind 
• Macs with new Apple-built chips will natively run iPhone and iPad apps
• Apple’s new ARM-based Macs won’t support Windows through Boot Camp
• Apple details iOS 14, its next major software update
• iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 will let you set default email and browser apps
• watchOS 7 announced with sleep tracking and rebranded Fitness app
• Apple TV 4K will at last play YouTube in 4K with tvOS 14 update
• AirPods updated with automatic switching and a new ‘Spatial Audio’ feature
• Apple teases new tracking protections and an approximate location feature in iOS 14
• Apple approves Hey email app, but the fight’s not over
• After outcry, Apple will let developers challenge App Store guidelines
• Hey opens its email service to everyone as Apple approves its app for good
• Microsoft is shutting down Mixer and partnering with Facebook Gaming
• Mixer failed — here's why

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Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel and policy editor Russell Brandom talk to founder of CryptoHarlem and cybersecurity expert Matt Mitchell, who works with activists to develop strategies to leave less data behind and help mitigate threats to their cause.

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Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn run through the most interesting rumors and predictions of announcements at Apple's WWDC next week. Adi Robertson joins to discuss the latest threat to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

Stories discussed in this episode:

• Cheap steroid reportedly improves survival for severe COVID-19 cases
• FDA ends emergency authorization for hydroxychloroquine 
• Why there’s so much confusion around asymptomatic COVID-19 cases
• The gadgets Late Night with Seth Meyers uses to keep the show running from home 
• Google commits $175 million to racial equity with focus on black-owned businesses
• Instagram’s CEO says the platform is examining how its policies affect black users
• Apple faces another EU antitrust complaint as App Store pressure grows
• Apple says the App Store created $519 billion in commerce last year
• Justice Department asks Congress for a sharp cut to websites’ legal protections
• Senate Republicans want to make it easier to sue tech companies for bias
• Facebook removes Trump ads for using Nazi imagery
• Google Ads bans Zero Hedge for racist content, but reverses

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Apple is acting like a monopolist and a bully, according to the chairman of the House Antitrust Committee.

Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) joined The Vergecast along with Basecamp CTO David Heinemeier Hansson to discuss the plight of Hey, Basecamp’s new $99-a-year premium email service. Earlier this week, Heinemeier Hansson revealed that Apple had rejected the Hey iPhone app from the App Store because it didn’t offer any way to sign up and pay in the app itself — which would require giving Apple a 30 percent cut of the fee.

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Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel and Verge reporter Makena Kelly talk to Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts about bringing broadband access into rural areas, the technology plights caused by the pandemic, privacy concerns over contract tracing, and the race to 5G.

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Stories discussed this week:

• Tinder CEO Elie Seidman on finding love during the pandemic
• It’s hard to figure out how often people without symptoms spread COVID-19
• Inside Nextdoor’s ‘Karen problem’
• Nextdoor tells community leads to allow Black Lives Matter discussions after exposé
• Contact tracing programs have to work with local communities to be successful
• Apple launches $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative
• Android 11 beta: all the announcements
• Android 11: conversations, bubbles, and making sense of complexity
• Five new features Android 11 borrows from the iPhone
• Android 11 may be the best texting platform if you use multiple chat apps
• Apple’s virtual WWDC keynote will take place on June 22nd at 1PM ET
• Apple will announce move to ARM-based Macs later this month, says report
• Apple pulls podcast apps in China after government pressure
• The new Sonos app and S2 update are available now
• IBM will no longer offer, develop, or research facial recognition technology
• Amazon bans police from using its facial recognition technology for the next year 
• Microsoft won’t sell facial recognition to police until Congress passes new privacy law

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Tinder and its parent company Match Group have weathered the COVID-19 pandemic relatively well, all things considered. User engagement is up, as is interest around new product features, like video calls. More than six years after its launch, Tinder is finally introducing a one-on-one video calling feature that it says will be heavily moderated for content and safety. At the same time, Tinder CEO Elie Seidman says he and his team are focusing on how to keep young people coming to the app and how they can build digital relationships inside of it, especially as in-person dates slow down.Seidman joins Vergecast host Nilay Patel and Verge senior reporter Ashley Carman for a chat about the future of the platform, how it’ll keep people safe over video calls, and what happens to its Tinder U initiative that it’s focused on for years. Plus, he explains how Joe Exotic might be more important to a relationship than living near each other.

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Stories from this episode:

• Blaming protesters for COVID-19 spread ignores the bigger threats to health
• 5G coronavirus conspiracy theorists are endangering the workers who keep networks running
• Telehealth wasn’t designed for non-English speakers
• The pandemic has made it harder to buy a new laptop
• Byte flight
• The United States will cut ties with the World Health Organization, says President Trump 
• FCC extends deadline for ISPs to quit charging customers who use their own equipment
• K-pop stans overwhelm app after Dallas police ask for videos of protesters
• SpaceX successfully launches first crew to orbit, ushering in new era of spaceflight
• A rocket launch can’t unite us until the space world acknowledges our divisions
• Watch NASA astronauts fly SpaceX’s Crew Dragon using touchscreens
• SpaceX’s Crew Dragon successfully docks with the space station
• What the future of the space station looks like after SpaceX’s historic launch
• Meet the cute stuffed dinosaur that hitched a ride on SpaceX’s historic launch
• SpaceX is launching its latest batch of internet satellites, including one with a visor
• Trump’s Twitter order violates the First Amendment, new lawsuit claims
• Facebook won’t take any action on Trump’s post about shootings in Minnesota
• Facebook employees walk out in protest of Donald Trump’s posts
• Twitter takes action against Rep. Matt Gaetz for glorifying violence
• In leaked audio, Mark Zuckerberg expressed ‘disgust’ with Trump’s posts
• Mark Zuckerberg defends hands-off Trump policy to employees after walkout
• Nine things we learned from leaked audio of Mark Zuckerberg facing his employees
• Ban them all
• What other social networks can learn from Snapchat’s rebuke of Trump
• Huawei P40 Pro review: there’s a catch
• HBO Max won’t hit AT&T data caps, but Netflix and Disney Plus will
• The Sonos Arc puts convincing surround sound in a single soundbar
• Here’s our best look yet at Google’s new Android TV streaming device

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Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel and Verge reporter Julia Alexander talk to Otter Media CEO Tony Goncalves on his new project overseeing HBO Max.

Goncalves discusses AT&T's strategy for the WarnerMedia streaming service, the dispute with getting the app on Roku and Amazon, HBO Max's place in the streaming wars, and how their data usage works on mobile.

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Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn welcome back Adi Robertson and Casey Newton to the show to discuss Trump's executive order targeting social media companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Google. Julia Alexander also stops by to discuss the launch of WarnerMedia's new streaming service HBO Max.

Stories discussed this week:

• Google search results will take ‘page experience’ into account next year
• T-Mobile now supports cross-carrier RCS messaging
• Google Messages may finally be adding end-to-end encryption for RCS
• Why Twitter labeling Trump’s tweets as “potentially misleading” is a big step forward
• FCC commissioner says Trump’s Section 230 plan ‘does not work’
• Donald Trump is starting a messy fight with the entire internet
• White House organizes harassment of Twitter employee as Trump threatens company
• Donald Trump signs executive order targeting social media companies
• YouTube is deleting comments with two phrases that insult ...
• YouTube fixes error that deleted comments critical of the ...
• YouTube says China-linked comment deletions weren't ...
• HBO Max is full of potential, but its biggest hurdle remains AT&T’s messy execution
• HBO Max is taking on Netflix with human curation instead of solely relying on algorithms
• HBO Max will use anime from Crunchyroll to compete with Netflix’s growing empire
• All eight Harry Potter movies are streaming on HBO Max much earlier than expected
• Snyder Cut fans demanded AT&T’s attention, and now AT&T is demanding their cash
• Here are the hundreds of classic movies people can stream on HBO Max
• You can no longer subscribe to HBO via Apple TV Channels
• HBO Max’s catalog is full of weird holes

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Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield about remote working, competition with Microsoft, and the way technology changes how we communicate.

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It’s Friday, which means there’s a new episode of The Vergecast to fill you in on all of the news from this week. Join Nilay, Dieter, and a rotation of other editors for everything that you need to know. The three topics covered this week are:

• Microsoft’s Build developer conference
• Elon Musk’s... active month
• Spotify getting exclusive streaming rights to The Joe Rogan Experience podcast

During the first part of the show, Verge senior editor Tom Warren joins Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn to discuss what was announced at Microsoft Build 2020 and what’s next for Windows software.

• Microsoft Lists is a new app designed for Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook
• Microsoft’s new Fluid Office document is Google Docs on steroids
• Microsoft to unify Windows desktop and UWP apps with new Project Reunion
• Microsoft’s new PowerToys Run launcher for Windows 10 is now available to download
• Microsoft Edge is getting a new sidebar search feature and Pinterest integration
• Microsoft is bringing Linux GUI apps to Windows 10
• Microsoft’s new Windows Package Manager is already better than the Windows Store
• Microsoft Surface Earbuds review: comfort at a cost
• Microsoft Surface Go 2 review: don’t push it
• First look: Microsoft’s 13.5-inch Surface Book 3

A little over 35 minutes into the show, Verge deputy editor Elizabeth Lopatto updates us on Elon Musk’s latest endeavors, including his battle with Alameda County over opening his factory, his protests against lockdown orders, and SpaceX’s upcoming Crew Dragon spacecraft launch.

• Elon Musk’s battle to reopen Tesla’s Fremont plant may shape his legacy
• Tesla drops its lawsuit against Alameda County over lockdown order
• Elon Musk is playing Twitter footsie with the fringe right
• Here’s why Elon Musk keeps raising the price of Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ option
• Elon Musk’s Boring Company finishes digging Las Vegas tunnels
• Meet the first NASA astronauts SpaceX will launch into orbit

Last but not least, senior reporter Ashley Carman stops by to explain the importance of Spotify landing The Joe Rogan Experience podcast as an exclusive.

• Joe Rogan’s podcast is becoming a Spotify exclusive
• It just took $700 million or so to put Spotify on top of the podcasting world
• Google suspended a popular Android podcast app because it catalogs COVID-19 content

There’s a whole lot more discussed in this episode, so listen here or in your preferred podcast player to hear it all.

Other stories discussed in this episode:

• Mark Zuckerberg on taking his massive workforce remote
• Students are failing AP tests because the College Board can’t handle iPhone photos
• Amazon reportedly delays Prime Day until September as it works to restore normal shipping
• Here’s how NYC is using powerful UV light to kill the coronavirus on subways and buses
• The FCC has received hundreds of complaints about carriers’ coronavirus pledge

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Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel and executive editor Dieter Bohn interview Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

Pichai disusses Google’s COVID-19 response: the way the company is handling the pandemic and how he’s working with Tim Cook from Apple on exposure tracking.

They also talked about how he is running one of the biggest companies in the world remotely and how the company is handling employees working from home

Of course they talk about their products and services: the future of the Pixel, competing with companies like Apple and Samsung, and RCS messaging.

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Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn welcome Dan Seifert, Casey Newton, and Julia Alexander to talk about gadget news, Facebook's oversight board, and updates in the streaming world.

Stories discussed this week:

• The doomsday bunker market is thriving amid the coronavirus pandemic
• Amazon asks Congress to pass a law against price gouging during national crisis
• Uber’s response to COVID-19: face masks, selfies, and fewer people in the car
• The lockdown live-streaming numbers are out, and they’re huge
• Elon Musk defies coronavirus order and asks to be arrested 
• Tesla has already started making cars again at its California factory
• Twitter introducing new labels for tweets with misleading COVID-19 information
• Google says that the majority of its employees will work from home until 2021
• The mastermind of Google’s Pixel camera quietly left the company in March
• Google Pixel 4a Performance Review tests the phone's ...
• Android 11's public beta to launch with June 3rd live stream …
• TCL wants to be the next big name in budget phones
• Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro (2020) review: return to baseline
• Dell launches new XPS 17 and redesigned XPS 15 with 16:10 edge-to-edge displays
• Alienware’s Area-51m, m15, and m17 laptops are getting new 10th Gen Intel chips and upgraded GPUs
• Facebook will pay $52 million in settlement with moderators who developed PTSD on the job
• Half of all Facebook moderators may develop mental health issues
• How Facebook is using AI to combat COVID-19 misinformation and detect ‘hateful memes’
• Facebook’s independent oversight board could be overwhelmed by the challenge
• Tenet is now Hollywood’s litmus test for what happens next 
• The Mandalorian’s second season won’t be delayed, says Disney CEO
• AMC Theaters will no longer play Universal movies after Trolls ...
• Alamo Drafthouse launches Alamo on Demand VOD service
• HBO Max will use anime from Crunchyroll to compete with Netflix’s growing empire
• HBO is teaming up with Scener to give subscribers the ability to watch TV together
• WarnerMedia expands free HBO Max deal to HBO subscribers ...
• Quibi will add sharing features as the app struggles to find subscribers
• Jeffrey Katzenberg Blames Pandemic for Quibi’s Rough Start
• Major CBS All Access changes coming this summer as company speeds up relaunch
• Wannabe influencers are being trained to film a believable YouTube apology video

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