The Vergecast

David Pierce and Nilay Patel are joined by The Verge's publisher Helen Havlak to discuss how The Vergecast is made, how the publication monetizes, the evolution from audio to video podcasting, and the changes in gadget journalism over the years. The conversation touches on The Verge's new website, audience demographics, subscription models, and the creative process behind the show.

Actor Ben McKenzie discusses his documentary Everyone Is Lying to You For Money, exploring why crypto never made sense to him despite years of investigation. The Verge's Victoria Song reports on continuous glucose monitors' migration from medical device to lifestyle influencer trend, revealing how the devices can create anxiety and misuse. The episode examines two parallel stories of technology sold with broken incentives: one a speculative bubble, the other a wellness industry.

Responding to a New Yorker profile of Sam Altman, Patel and Pierce debate whether OpenAI's CEO should be trusted with the most powerful technology in history.

Sony's partnership with TCL and what it means for the TV industry as hardware margins collapse and software becomes the primary revenue model.

Nilay and David rank Apple's 50 best products against voter feedback, debating which innovations truly changed the tech landscape.

Samsung launches the Galaxy S26 with a Privacy Display that limits screen visibility and agentic AI features that can take actions on the user's behalf.

Year-end review of the biggest tech stories of 2025: AI's rapid integration into everything, the platform regulation battles, and the hardware innovations that mattered.

The AI gold rush has made homelab hardware scarce and expensive, but software for self-hosting has never been better. Pierce examines the trade-offs for enthusiasts.

AI email assistants that draft, summarize, and prioritize emails are changing the communication environment. Are we approaching a world where AI reads and writes our email for us?

Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses are the first AI wearable that people actually use daily. Pierce and Patel examine why they succeed where others failed.

Head-to-head comparison of consumer AI assistants across real-world tasks. Each assistant has strengths shaped by its parent company's priorities and data access.

Apple's AI-powered Siri is still delayed. Patel and Pierce examine why Apple is behind in AI and whether its privacy-first approach is a competitive advantage or handicap.

Apple's WWDC 2025 reveals its AI strategy: on-device intelligence, privacy-preserving cloud compute, and a rearchitected Siri that finally understands context.

Google I/O 2025 puts Gemini into every Google product. Patel and Pierce assess whether Google's AI integration strategy will succeed or create a confusing mess.

YouTube is now the most-watched streaming service on TVs. The hosts examine what this means for Netflix, Disney+, and the future of entertainment.

First hands-on with the Nintendo Switch 2. The hosts examine Nintendo's design philosophy and how it differs from Sony and Microsoft's approach to console gaming.

The new FCC chairman outlines his regulatory vision for AI, social media, and telecommunications, with implications for how tech companies operate.

Mobile World Congress 2025 coverage. Xiaomi, Samsung, and Realme are pushing phone design in new directions with rollable screens, modular components, and AI-first interfaces.

One year after Apple Vision Pro's launch. Has spatial computing found its audience, or is the headset a $3,500 solution looking for a problem?

The Supreme Court upholds the TikTok ban. Pierce and Patel debate the implications for free speech, national security, and the precedent for platform regulation.

CES 2025 recap: AI is in everything — cars, fridges, TVs, glasses. Pierce and Patel sort the genuinely useful from the AI-washed marketing.

Nilay and David analyze the AI industrys shift from consumer chatbots to enterprise software. Why OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic are all pivoting to business customers, and what this means for the future of AI.

For Apples 50th anniversary, Nilay and David assess the state of Apple hardware: the M-series chip revolution, Vision Pro disappointment, iPhone plateau, and whether Apple can still make products that change the world.