The Engadget Podcast (Engadget)

This week, Engadget's Sam Rutherford dives into his experience with Google's new $499 mid-range smartphone, the Pixel 9a. Is it really the new mid-range king, as we previously predicted? Or is it worth spending more for the Pixel 9? Also, we chat about how the Trump administration's volatile tariff strategy will affect consumer technology (not to mention everything else you buy).  

Sam Rutherford’s Pixel 9a Review: Basic in just the right way – 1:16

Tariff Watch: Switch 2 preorders delayed, Razer pauses laptop sales in the U.S. – 30:27

TikTok ban deadline extended for another 75 days – 42:40

Samsung’s Ballie robot with Google Gemini arrives this Summer (allegedly) – 43:31

Listener Mail – 46:53

Working on – 57:41

Pop Culture picks – 59:23

Senior reporter Jess Conditt joins host Cherlynn Low and producer Ben Ellman on a quiet news week to talk about the latest developments at Sony, Threads, TikTok and more. We also take a look at some gadget announcements and discuss the impact that social media and technology have had on the way we work and how we think of celebrity and success.

A chill Thanksgiving week chat: Social media and how it affects all of us – 1:07

Gaming news with Jess: Sony is reportedly working on a new portable console – 21:18

PlayStation’s head of indie games Shuhei Yoshida is leaving Sony after 30 years – 28:34

Obsidian’s Avowed looks like a great reason to pick up an Xbox controller – 31:53

FTC warns that most connected devices aren’t supported for very long – 37:08

Working on – 41:14

Pop culture picks – 42:17

We joked about "President Musk" shortly after Donald Trump took office, but it turns out that wasn't far from the truth. Over the past few weeks, Elon Musk and his DOGE team wasted no time in trying to dismantle the American administrative state. They've illegally accessed the Treasury Department's federal payment system, pushed for USAID to be dismantled, and have also infiltrated the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In this episode, we chat with 404 Media's Jason Koebler about what Musk and his young tech cronies are up to, and how it ties into Silicon Valley's approach to the new Trump administration.

Move Fast and Break Things: What is Elon Musk’s DOGE doing to the United States government? – 1:04

iPhone SE 4 announcement expected soon – 34:54

Elon Musk makes $97.4 billion offer for OpenAI, Altman declines in a tweet – 39:03

France wants to build a gigawatt of new nuclear plants to power AI ambitions – 41:27

Working on – 44:05

Pop culture picks – 44:48 

It's been a Mac-heavy week! In this episode, Devindra and producer Ben Ellman dive into all of Apple's new M4 hardware: the new iMac, Mac mini and refreshed Macbook Pros. The Mac mini, in particular, looks like it'll be a huge hit for anyone who needs a simple desktop system. Also, we dive into why Apple is pushing for every Mac to get 16GB of RAM at a minimum. That will benefit all users, even if they don't care about Apple Intelligence.

Unofficial Mac Week: Apple announces M4 Pro and M4 Max chips in refreshed iMac, Mac Mini, and Macbook Pro models – 0:58

Regulators force Lyft to tell U.S. drivers accurate numbers of how much money they’ll make – 45:30

AP report: OpenAI’s Whisper transcription model invents parts of audio transcripts – 49:06

AOC and Tim Walz streamed Crazy Taxi on Twitch – 53:11

McDonalds can finally repair their own McFlurry machines in significant win for Right to repair – 55:54

Around Engadget – 59:45

Pop culture picks – 1:03:42 

So it looks like the TikTok ban may actually be happening, barring a last-minute Supreme Court decision. In this episode, Senior Writer Karissa Bell joins Devindra and Ben to discuss the potential finale of TikTok in America, as well as why some users are finding refuge in RedNote, a Chinese Instagram clone. They also dive into why Meta is giving up on third-party fact checkers, and how this relates to Mark Zuckerberg's descent into the right-wing world. Finally, we explore the tidbits of information from Nintendo's Switch 2 unveiling.

Stay tuned to the end of this episode for Devindra’s chat with Dan Erickson, the creator of Severance, about season two of his hit show.

RIP TikTok, Part ??? – 2:24

Meta abandons fact checking, loosens hate speech rules on its platforms – 22:21

We finally have confirmation of the Switch 2, full unveil scheduled for April 2 – 40:57

Pop culture picks – 49:29.187

This week, Devindra chats with Volvo Group CTO Lars Stenqvist about the company’s progress developing zero emissions trucks, both of the electric variety and experimental hydrogen options. While it’s a completely different company from Volvo Cars, Volvo Group still impacts consumers as one of the largest producers of heavy trucks. Stenqvist dives into how Volvo is thinking about new technology, and we chat a bit about how it’s approaching completely autonomous vehicles. (Note: This interview was recorded in early January, so we didn’t have a chance to talk about this week’s partnership between Volvo and the self-driving truck startup Waabi.)

This week, we learned that even government officials are addicted to their group chats -- except with the Trump administration those chats include war plans and potentially classified information. In this episode, we dive into the sheer recklessness and stupidity of Signalgate. And speaking of reckless, we also discuss 23andMe's bankruptcy and the privacy concerns around selling off customer DNA data.

Signalgate: What happened, who was involved, and how to safely add someone to a Signal group chat – 0:48

23andMe files for bankruptcy, customers are urged to delete their sensitive data – 21:25

Canon’s PowerShot V1 and R50 V cameras go all in on vlogging – 27:21

Apple announces WWDC dates, updates Airpods Max, and dodges fines in the EU – 32:52

How did Napster sell for $207 million in 2025? – 45:32

Around Engadget – 48:44

Working On – 55:22

Pop Culture picks – 57:56

Our review-in-progress of the Kindle Scribe 2 is live, and this week on the Engadget Podcast our host Cherlynn Low talks about Amazon’s latest writing tablet with noted ereader aficionado Alex Cranz. The pair are joined by Engadget’s own ereader expert Valentina Palladino, and they all get deep on the state of reading on books, tablets and phones. Our hosts also dive into what’s happening at Intel, as well as modern cars and personal listening habits.

Kindle Scribe 2, Kobo, Boox and more: the state of ereaders in 2024 – 2:12

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger retires – 45:13

Intel claims its $250 Battlemage Arc GPU can top the NVIDIA RTX 4060  – 50:57

MSI’s upcoming Claw 8 AI+ and 7 AI+ are faster than ever, but you still need to navigate Windows with joysticks – 52:18

Jaguar’s strange concept EV doesn’t even have a rear window – 57:26

It’s music streaming recap season! How do you feel about yours? – 1:04:33

Working on / Around Engadget – 1:09:13

Pop culture picks – 1:11:20  

After Nintendo revealed the full details around the Switch 2 this week, Engadget's Sam Rutherford got some hands-on time with the new console. In this episode, he talks about the major improvements in the new hardware (especially that 1080p, 120 fps screen) and why he doesn't really miss the older Switch OLED. Also, Sam discusses his time with Mario Kart World, the new semi-open world version of Nintendo's classic racer. 

In other news, we dive into the latest updates around the TIkTok ban, and we discuss how the Trump administration's tariff push will affect everything in the technology world and beyond. Stay tuned to the end of the show for our chat with Shinichiro Watanabe, the creator of Cowboy Bebop, about his new anime series Lazarus.

Switch 2 details are finally here, Sam Rutherford got hands-on time with it – 1:47

U.S.’s broad new tariffs on China and beyond could make everything from keyboards to cars more expensive – 49:32

TikTok’s divest-or-ban deadline is April 5, here are the possible buyers – 54:57

xAI buys X, but how much does that matter? – 58:24

Working on – 1:00:59

Pop culture picks – 1:02:31 

It's both a great and bad week for Apple. In this episode, we dive into Devindra's review of the excellent M4-equipped MacBook Air (and briefly chat about the new Mac Studio). We also discuss Apple's surprise announcement that it's delaying its smarter, AI-infused Siri, which may not arrive until next year. Did Apple over-promise last year, or is it wise to hold off on advanced AI features until they're ready? After all, Apple doesn't want a fiasco like Microsoft's Recall announcement.
 

The MacBook Air M4 refresh maintains Apple’s seat on the ultraportable throne – 1:40

…but the delay on a Siri upgrade could spell trouble long-term – 15:32

Xbox’s first handheld might not be made by Microsoft – 34:29

The White House turns into a Tesla dealership – 41:30

Meta attempts to block unflattering expose book already on sale – 45:52

Around Engadget: Ninja Swirl and Eero Pro 7 router reviews – 46:38

Working on – 49:21

Pop culture picks – 50:26  

In the span of a week, the Chinese startup DeepSeek has completely disrupted the AI landscape with its free and "open source" R1 model. In this episode, Devindra, Engadget Senior Reporter Igor Bonifacic and Producer Ben Ellman dive into what makes R1 so special, and what DeepSeek is doing differently from OpenAI and other competitors. Also, we try to figure out what’s up with “Incention,” a weird AI/blockchain project for creating new Hollywood IP, and wonder if Helion’s fusion reactor is actually legit.
 

DeepSeek’s R1 model shakes up the AI landscape – 1:55

Quick mention: Sam Rutherford’s Galaxy S25 review “Too much AI, not enough Ultra” – 30:19

Incention is proof that blockchain nonsense is alive and well – 37:16

Fusion startup Helion has Altman and Thiel on its side, but maybe not physics – 42:50

Google agrees to rename Gulf of Mexico on U.S. version of its maps – 49:19

Working on – 50:07

Pop culture picks – 51:32

For obvious reasons, Twitter users are leaving en masse and heading to Bluesky, its most prominent decentralized competitor. In this episode, we discuss why Bluesky now feels like the best of early Twitter, filled with vibrant conversations and people discovering a new social network filled with useful features (like serious blocking and content filtering). And of course, the lack of an algorithmic feed surely helps. Also, we chat with Justin Hendrix from Tech Policy Press about how Elon Musk has become a crucial ally to the upcoming Trump administration. 

Bluesky ascendent: the federated platform could actually be the next Twitter – 2:22

Musk cozies up to President-elect Trump, could a Department of Government Efficiency be next? – 23:37

Interview with Justin Hendrix, founder of Tech Policy Press, on Trump and Musk – 31:50

The Onion buys InfoWars with plans to turn the brand into gun control satire – 48:02

LG Display’s stretchy new screen – 54:34

The Beatles have been nominated for two Grammys with the help of AI – 56:50

Goodbye: AOL voiceover Elwood Edwards has died – 58:29

Working on – 1:00:11

Pop culture picks – 1:02:38 

Amazon finally did it! This week the company announced the Kindle Colorsoft, its first color E Ink e-reader. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn discuss where this device sits in a world of cheap tablets, and they dive into the updated Kindle Paperwhite and the writable Kindle Scribe. Also, we've got final thoughts on the Meta Quest 3S, the updated iPad Mini and tons of news.

Amazon announces new Kindle Colorsoft, updated Kindle Scribe and Paperwhite – 0:51

Devindra’s Meta Quest 3S review: impressive VR for a fair price – 38:14

Apple quietly drops new iPad Minis – 45:25

Tesla’s Robotaxi event: lots of big promises that will be hard to fulfill – 51:38

Amazon and Google go nuclear (power) – 54:44

Android 15 starts to hit Pixel devices – 55:51

Analogue 3D will give you 4K N64 games, just don’t call it an emulator – 57:14

Working on – 1:00:48

Pop culture picks – 1:04:38

After a ton of leaks, Google officially announced the $499 Pixel 9a, which has the potential to be the new king of mid-range phones. It has dual cameras and access to Google's AI features -- in many ways, it's everything the iPhone 16e should have been (especially its price). In this episode, Senior Writer Sam Rutherford joins us to discuss what's great about the Pixel 9a, as well as its potential downsides compared to the Pixel 9.

Google’s announces the Pixel 9a - potentially the new midrange king – 1:15

Fujifilm’s GX100RF: a 102MP medium format camera (nice!) with only one F4 lens (boo!) – 21:31

Karissa Bell’s roundup of the craziest stuff from Facebook whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams’ book – 24:14

Donald Trump attempts to fire FTC’s two Democratic commissioners – 29:34

Amazon will send all Alexa recordings to the cloud, no more local processing – 32:52

Chinese EV maker BYD announces chargers that give 249 miles of range in 5 minutes – 39:10

Pebble founder introduces two new e-paper smartwatches – 46:47

Listener Mail: Trying to choose an OLED TV – 57:35

Around Engadget – 1:03:49

Working on – 1:09:56

Pop culture picks – 1:10:28

Apple finally dropped some long-awaited updates this week:  An M4 MacBook Air (now starting at $999!), M3 iPad Air, as well as a refreshed Mac Studio with M3 Ultra and M4 Max chips. In this episode, Cherlynn, Devindra and Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham chat about all of Apple's new hardware, as well as some interesting tidbits from Mobile World Congress 2025. Devindra also dives into his reviews of NVIDIA's RTX 5070 and AMD's Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT. It turns out AMD has finally delivered some killer GPUs to counter NVIDIA's dominance.

We mentioned a bunch of stuff from our Mobile World Congress Roundup, you can check it out here

MacBook Air refresh announced with an M4 chip and a slight price drop – 2:04

What’s hot at Mobile World Congress 2025 – 23:10

Lenovo’s Solar PC – 35:20

Xiaomi 15 Ultra (with a fancy Leica camera) – 37:53

New releases from Nothing – 39:16

Samsung releases a trio of A series devices – 40:35  

NVIDIA vs. AMD part ∞: AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT edge out the GeForce RTX 5070 – 46:20

Pop culture picks – 54:11 

The keyword for the iPhone 16e seems to be "compromise." In this episode, Devindra chats with Cherlynn about her iPhone 16e review and try to figure out who this phone is actually for. Also, they dive into Amazon's Alexa+ event, where we finally learned more about the company's AI-powered voice assistant. Alexa+ seems useful, but can we trust it?

iPhone 16e review: too expensive with too many compromises – 1:28

Amazon Alexa+ is a conversational assistant powered by AI – 18:39

Framework unveils a cheap 2-in-1 laptop and a…modular desktop? – 40:53

Clone Robotics released a video of a robot with fake skin that will haunt your nightmares – 43:26

NYT: American Psychologists are getting ready to fight AI clone therapists – 44:05

Working on – 47:59

Pop culture picks – 49:02

Interview with Daniel Rausch, VP of Amazon’s Alexa division – 55:34

Well we didn't get the iPhone SE fourth-gen this week -- instead Apple debuted the iPhone 16e, a $599 model based on the iPhone 14's design. It has a 6.1-inch OLED screen and the A18 chip for Apple Intelligence, but should we really consider it a cheap iPhone? In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn dive into the iPhone 16e and how it compares to the rest of the iPhone 16 family.

Apple unveils its SE successor, the iPhone 16e for $599 – 1:22

Trump administration planning on 25 percent tariffs on auto and semiconductor imports – 32:02

Acer to raise prices by 10 percent following tariff talk – 34:26

Humane AI sells to HP, pin will go offline February 28 – 36:42

Microsoft’s new quantum computing chip runs on topological qubits – 41:14

Working on – 47:28

Pop culture picks – 50:06

This week, we're looking back at our hellish 2024 and trying to figure out where to go from here. We began the year with enormous hype around artificial intelligence, but that's cooled off after seeing how useless many AI features have been. It's also clear that many companies, including Microsoft and Apple, are trying to push half-baked AI concepts onto users. Looking forward, we're expecting a rough few years for the tech industry (not to mention the world as a whole).

2024 in review: AI hype hasn’t led to much and the social media vibes are in flux – 1:12

What we’re looking forward to in 2025 – 21:43

Tiktok appeals its ban all the way to the US Supreme Court – 29:53

TP-Link routers are being investigated by US authorities – 32:39

Quick thoughts from last week’s Game Awards – 35:35

Working on – 38:26

Pop culture picks – 39:17

Interview with Tim Miller and Dave Wilson of Prime’s Secret Level – 49:20

We've survived two days of CES! In this bonus episode, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss the latest innovations in robot vacuums, new AI PC hardware from AMD and Intel, and Dell's decision to nuke its PC brands in favor of Apple-esque "Dell Pro" and "Dell Pro Max" branding. (Note: We recorded this episode before NVIDIA announced its new RTX 5000 GPUs, but we'll have more to say on that soon!)

It feels like CES again with a slew of tech news this week! In this episode, Devindra dives into his final thoughts on NVIDIA's $2,000 GeForce RTX 5090, a super-powered video card with a healthy dose of AI. Senior Reporter Sam Rutherford also joins to explain everything Samsung launched at its Galaxy S25 Unpacked event. And of course, we'll chat about some of the technology industry and policy changes from the new Trump administration. Stay tuned to the end of this episode for our chat with YouTube Director of Product Management Jack Greenberg about some new features headed to YouTube Premium.

TikTok was only banned for 14 hours, what happened? – 1:27

Devindra’s NVIDIA RTX 5090 Review: more power than most people need – 13:53

Samsung Unpacked announces Galaxy S25 series and teases a thinner phone – 30:25

What the new administration’s Executive Orders mean for AI, EVs and the environment – 54:23

Pop culture picks – 1:03:41

What’s coming to Youtube Premium with project manager Jack Greenberg – 1:07:06

Well, the rumors were true: this week the DOJ argued that Google should sell off Chrome to make up for its monopolistic search practices. On top of that, the US government also suggested a potential sale of Android if it can't stop prioritizing its own search on Android smartphones. In this episode, Devindra and Producer Ben discuss why neither outcome seems likely under the upcoming Trump 2.0 administration, which will likely focus on defanging any sort of regulation.

U.S. regulators want Google to sell its Chrome division (and why that probably won’t happen) – 1:05

Comcast spins off Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango, and a handful of cable networks into their own company – 22:23

Sony is in talks to buy Kadokawa, Japanese publisher behind FromSoft games and Kill la Kill – 24:38

German authorities suspect Baltic Sea data cables between Lithuania and Sweden were sabotaged – 26:21

Pokémon Go devs Niantic reveal plans to create a Large Geospatial Model to power future AR and robots – 32:26

Working on – 45:49

Pop culture picks – 51:38

We're ringing in 2025 with everything we're expecting to see at CES! That includes new video cards from AMD and NVIDIA, a holographic windshield from Hyundai and potentially more satellite enabled phones. AI will still be a major topic -- like the next generation of AI PCs -- but it also seems like we'll be hearing a lot more about classic CES stories. In addition, we explore why Meta wants to start adding AI users to Facebook and Instagram. 

CES 2025 Preview: LG’s bendable 5K OLED, AI PCs, and a broadening satellite phone market – 2:17

New video cards from AMD and NVIDIA at CES – 12:09

2024’s biggest losers in tech – 18:46

Meta announces AI personas are coming to Instagram and Facebook – 32:22

Pop culture picks – 41:02 

At long last, iPhone users have access to Apple's AI image generation tools, Genmoji (for customized emoji) and Image Playground. But based on our testing, these Apple Intelligence features aren't fully baked. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn discuss why these AI tools aren't very useful and dive into some of Apple's most egregious image generation fails.

iOS 18.2 AI image generation arrives half baked. Genmoji are fun, but weird – 1:13

OpenAI’s Sora video generation model was finally released – 37:17

GM kills its Cruise robotaxi project – 45:43

Google’s Gemini 2.0 is now available for preview – 49:51

Tiktok is running out of options to avoid a ban in the U.S. – 57:36

Working on – 1:00:04

Pop culture picks – 1:02:20

We’re officially recovering from CES 2025! In this episode, Devindra and Senior Reporter Sam Rutherford dive into their favorite PCs from the show, and debate the merits of Lenovo’s extra-large Legion Go S handheld. They explain why they like ASUS’s ultra-light Zenbook A14, and Sam gives us his final thoughts on Dell’s clunky brand transition.

Lenovo’s surprising CES showing: ThinkBook Plus Gen 6’s rollable screen – 0:47

Legion Go S by Lenovo is the first third-party handheld to run SteamOS – 4:35

NVIDIA’s RTX 5000 seems great… – 10:16

…But Jensen Huang’s keynote on NVIDIA’s future lacked focus – 15:29

MicroLED TVs shown at CES are gorgeous and pricy – 30:11 

In this episode, Devindra and producer Ben Ellman recover from the election by discussing our final thoughts on the PlayStation 5 Pro, as well as Apple’s M4 Mac mini (so cute, so powerful!) and new MacBook Pros. The M4 chip is a solid upgrade, but the M4 Pro is shockingly fast (so much so that it outscored every other system we reviewed this year in Geekbench).

PlayStation 5 Review: Your <$1000 gateway to 4K/60 gaming with ray tracing – 3:43

Mac mini M4 Pro Review: Phenomenal power with a tiny footprint – 16:51

MacBook Pro M4 and M4 Pro Review: Maintaining and extending Apple’s premium laptop dominance – 31:15

NYT tech guild on strike made their own games you can play without crossing their digital picket line – 38:28

Pop culture picks – 43:25    

We finally got an iPad Mini refresh, and it's not particularly exciting. But that's fine! It's still a useful little tablet, and now thanks to the A17 Pro chip, it's already ready for upcoming Apple Intelligence features. In this episode, Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham joins to discuss what he liked about the new iPad Mini, and what he hopes Apple will eventually fix in future models. Also, we chat about Netflix abandoning its AAA game studio, and why over 10,500 artists signed a letter against AI training.

The refreshed iPad Mini is playing it safe and that’s totally fine – 0:58

Netflix closes Team Blue, its attempt at a AAA game studio – 24:16

Over 10,000 of the world’s top artists sign a letter protesting AI training using their work – 28:27

X Terms of Service changes on account blocking, AI training spurs a fresh wave of Bluesky signups – 30:07

Ronald D. Moore (Outlander, Battlestar Galactica) chosen to helm Amazon’s God of War series – 38:35

Working on – 42:11

Pop culture picks – 43:17 

This week, we're diving into Engadget's coverage from the 2025 New York Auto Show. There are tons of EVs, as we expected, as well as some surprising disappointments (what the heck did Subaru do to the Outback?!). Also, we once again try to make sense of the Trump administration's tariff mess. Stay tuned to the end of this episode for a chat with Isaiah Saxon, the director of A24’s The Legend of Ochi, about his puppet-filled kid’s adventure.
 

What’s hot in EVs from New York Auto Show 2025 – 1:56

Federal Judge rules that Google has a monopoly on U.S. digital ads – 17:42

Facebook antitrust trial begins after several attempts to scuttle the case – 22:18

Tariff Watch: tariffs on semiconductors and electronics to be announced later – 31:16

PS5 prices are rising around the world – 34:22

NPR: Whistleblower shows evidence DOGE took sensitive data from federal labor board – 42:35

Sidewalk alerts in Seattle and Palo Alto hacked to play AI-generated messages – 47:18

New details for Mario Kart World – 48:43

Around Engadget / Working On – 51:42

Picks – 54:31

Interview with Legend of Ochi director Isaiah Saxon – 59:59

Apple's new M3 MacBook Pros and iMac are here! In this episode, we dive into our full thoughts about all of Apple's new hardware alongside Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham. The big takeaway: Don't buy the base model of either computer with just 8GB of RAM. Otherwise, the M3 chips are solid upgrades across the board.

Also, Senior Editor Jessica Conditt joins to tell us all about the new Steam Deck OLED. It has a slightly larger OLED screen than the original model, as well as some extra battery life. While the performance is the same as before, it's certainly a tempting holiday treat for anyone who's been eyeing a Steam Deck.

Our reviews of Apple’s M3 iMac and M3 Pro MacBook Pro – 0:40

Steam Deck OLED review with Jess Conditt – 21:33

Humane to debut AI-powered device that pins to your clothes – 43:24

Meta to require political campaigns to disclose AI-altered images in ads – 55:19

Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty of fraud, faces up to 110 years in prison – 56:21

Rockstar confirms GTA 6 trailer is coming December 2023 – 1:04:18

Working on – 1:07:23

Pop culture picks – 1:09:07

Well, it finally happened: Elon Musk has officially taken over Twitter. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Engadget’s Karissa Bell to discuss how Musk is reshaping the social network. Are all the changes bad, or is there some method to his madness? (Spoiler: It looks more like desperation than anything else.) Also, we dive into some recent Google AI news, and Devindra explains why the new Apple TV 4K is genuinely great.

Elon Musk’s Twitter fiasco – 1:26

Thinking of leaving Twitter? Here are some platforms to check out – 21:49

Google announces package tracking in Gmail – 29:55

Texas AG sues Google over facial recognition data collection – 35:23

The PS VR2 will cost $550, arrives February 22, 2023 – 38:07

Xiaomi’s 12S Ultra concept phone has a massive camera with interchangeable lenses – 40:35

Working on – 43:42

Pop culture picks – 48:57

Apple just dropped several new devices on us this week, seemingly out of nowhere. In this episode, Cherlynn and Devindra break down Apple’s new base iPad and iPad Pro with M2. They chat about why the iPad lineup is now more confusing than ever, and what that means going forward. (At least the new Apple TV 4K seems likely a genuinely solid upgrade.)

Apple announces updated base iPad and Apple TV 4K – 1:36

Microsoft lays off hundreds of workers – 20:22

Netflix announces “extra user” fee to crack down on password sharing – 27:40

Intel says the next generation of Thunderbolt is on the way – 35:47

Silent Hill 2 remake and a movie are on the way – 41:29

Working on – 47:37

Pop culture picks – 53:21

Is the second time the charm for Google's foldable? In this episode, Devindra chats with Senior Writer Sam Rutherford about his hands-on impressions of the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It has bigger screens and a sleeker design than its predecessor, but how does it compare to the other foldables out there? And why isn't it called the Pixel Fold 2?!

Thoughts on Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the rest of Google’s event – 1:39

Eric Schmidt blames work from home and work-life balance for Google’s loss of AI advantage – 31:07

U.S. Department of Justice considering breaking up Google after monopoly ruling – 33:32

Hackers may have leaked every American’s Social Security Number – 38:04

Meta officially shuts down CrowdTangle, a critical tool for monitoring misinformation on Facebook – 40:50

Apple is opening up its NFC to third-party developers – 43:12

Working on – 47:13

Pop Culture Picks – 49:07

This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into our review of Amazon's Halo Rise and look into the role it plays in the company's overall strategy as a healthcare provider. Then, our hosts contemplate the cancelation and possible end of E3, as well as the spate of odd news around April Fools day, including Twitter's doge-ification and ASUS' ill-timed gaming handheld launch.

Our review of Amazon’s Halo Rise bedside sleep tracker – 2:02

E3 2023 has been canceled – 29:20

This week in Twitter mess: bluecheckpocalypse delayed and a doge takeover – 40:41

ASUS’ ROG Ally handheld isn’t a April Fool’s joke – 46:42

OnePlus launches $60 Nord Buds 2 with ANC – 53:02

Microsoft released an Xbox controller made of old CDs – 57:32

Working on – 1:03:20

Pop culture picks – 1:05:23

Samsung made a huge flex this week by hosting its first Unpacked event in Seoul, South Korea (sorry NYC!). In this episode, Cherlynn, Devindra and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford dive into all of Samsung’s news: The Galaxy Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, Watch 6 and Tab S9. Is Samsung playing it safe this year, or is it actually bringing something new to the world of foldables? Also, we discuss Twitter’s rebrand to “X” (sigh), as well as why astrophysicist Avi Loeb is likely wrong about his extraterrestrial alien balls.

Samsung’s Summer Unpacked 2023 Overview – 0:54

Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 – 3:23

Galaxy Watch 6 – 19:24

Galaxy Tab S9 – 26:19

Other News: Twitter is now X – 33:40

GM announces plans to revive the Chevy Bolt – 47:44

Astrophysicist Avi Loeb found tiny metal balls in the ocean, they probably aren’t alien tech – 51:30

Microsoft announces pizza-scented controller as a TMNT promotion – 53:54

AI News: Netflix lists machine learning jobs in the middle of Hollywood’s double strike – 55:54

Working on – 1:00:34

Pop culture picks – 1:08:24

Google has gone from being the go-to search engine to something people are paying to avoid entirely. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with 404 Media co-founder Jason Koebler about his experience moving away from Google and towards Kagi, a $10 a month search engine without ads or data tracking. Funny enough, Kagi is still relying on Google’s index, so it’s a lot like using that site before the onslaught of ads, sponsored posts and AI results. Also, we discuss the company’s lies around Chrome’s incognito mode, as well as the news that it would be deleting user data collected in that mode.

Why Jason Koebler moved from Google to Kagi's paid search engine – 0:45

Google says it will destroy data collected from users using Incognito mode – 15:01

Gurman report: Apple is working on personal home robots – 24:55

Amazon just walked out on its self check-out tech – 30:43

FCC set to vote to restore Net Neutrality – 43:00

Apple adds Spatial Personas to make the Vision Pro experience less lonely – 45:09

Proposed California state law would give tech workers the “right to disconnect” – 47:17

Tekken director responds to fighting game fans’ request for a Waffle House stage – 49:57

Around Engadget – 51:22

Working on – 54:31

Pop culture picks – 59:13

This week, Devindra chats with Sam Rutherford about his recent experiences with ASUS’s ROG Ally, a powerful new Steam Deck competitor, and Nintendo’s long-awaited The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The ROG Ally sounds like one of the best portable gaming systems yet, though we’re still waiting for pricing details. And Zelda was apparently a blast to play, but of course it was. Also, Devindra and Podcast Producer Ben Ellman dive into the latest news, including the FAA grounding SpaceX’s Starship and Grimes’ decision to let people run free with her AI voice.

Sam Rutherford’s review of the ROG Ally handheld gaming PC – 1:52

Sam’s Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom demo experience – 15:08

FAA grounds SpaceX’s Starship after launch explosion spreads debris – 28:26

UK regulator blocks Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision/Blizzard – 34:04

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny features 25 mins of de-aged Harrison Ford – 39:54

This week in AI: Snapchat users revolt against AI assistant, Grimes offers 50/50 credit to songs with her AI voice – 43:19

Working on – 50:21

Pop culture picks – 52:07

It’s only a few days until the beginning of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference next week, and we’re eager to see what the iPhone maker is cooking up. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Engadget Senior Writer Sam Rutherford to dive into all of the Apple rumors: That fabled mixed reality headset, a potential 15-inch MacBook Air and more! But really, all eyes are on the headset. Is Apple setting itself up for failure, or for a future where smart glasses are actually a thing? Also, we discuss the late-breaking news about Meta’s Quest 3 headset, which sounds like it will offer better VR and color mixed reality support for $500.

Apple’s AR Headset, iOS 17, MacOS 14 and everything else we expect to see at WWDC 2023 – 1:16

Meta Quest 3 details drop ahead of Apple’s developer conference next week – 33:48

Oppo debuts MR Glass Developer Edition – 37:41

AI leaders issue dire warning on its risks, neglecting their own responsibility in its development – 41:46

Chatbot rolled out by National Eating Disorders Association taken offline after giving bad advice – 45:37

Working on – 52:17

Listener mailbag – 56:41

Pop culture picks – 58:39

Apple is gearing up to launch the iPhone 16 on September 9th, so we've brought on Bloomberg's Mark Gurman to chat about his scoops around Apple's upcoming hardware. We should expect some notable additions, like a dedicated camera button, as well as slightly larger screens on the Pro models. We'll also dive into Apple's robotics efforts -- does anyone really want an Apple bot rolling around their home? Finally, we'll discuss Gurman's reporting around Meta's upcoming devices: A cheaper Quest 3 model, as well as a glimpse at prototype AR glasses.

2024 iPhone event preview with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman – 0:50

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in Paris – 37:45

Razer reveals the Wolverine V3 Pro stick drift-resistant controller – 44:23

Meet Plaud’s NotePin. Another AI wearable??? – 45:07

Y2K style goes mobile with HMD’s hot pink Barbie flip phone – 48:10

Working on – 50:31

Pop culture picks – 53:56

After plenty of testing, we've got some final thoughts on Google's latest foldable. In this episode, Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Michael Fisher (AKA MrMobile) to discuss the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and why it feels like a far more mature device than the previous Pixel Fold. Also, we dive into some of the biggest news from IFA 2024, like Intel's Core Ultra 200V chips and Acer's crazy laptop concept with a built-in gamepad.

Cherlynn and MrMobile review the Pixel 9 Pro Fold – 1:14

IFA News: Intel’s promising Core Ultra 200V chips, Acer’s controller-embedded laptop, and a trio of interesting devices from Honor – 38:25

Brazil blocks X entirely in an escalation of a legal fight with Elon Musk – 49:59

Former OpenAI exec Ilya Sutskever raises $1B for new AI startup – 52:49

U.S. DOJ charges Russia Today employees over Kremlin-linked influencer campaign – 54:17

reMarkable Paper Pro 3, now in glorious color – 55:19

Sony’s pulls the plug on its big swing team shooter Concord 2 weeks after launch – 56:59

Pop culture picks – 58:42

This episode, Cherlynn is joined by senior writer Sam Rutherford and senior commerce editor at Wired Julian Chokkattu to talk about our reviews of the Pixel Fold. Will the recent spate of foldables by companies like Motorola and Google give Samsung some real competition and motivation to step up its game? We can only wait to find out. Samsung is holding its next Galaxy Unpacked in late July, and we’ll see what it has to unveil then. This episode, we also take a look at the latest addition to the Google Graveyard and the state of the podcast industry.

Google’s Pixel Fold is the challenger Samsung needs – 1:22

Google has given up on making its own AR glasses, will focus on AR software – 38:50

Automotive organization SAE will create a standard version of Tesla’s charging plug for EVs – 45:19

SiriusXM will shut down widely used podcast app Stitcher on August 29 – 52:11

RIP John Goodenough, inventor of the lithium-ion battery – 54:53

Working on – 56:01

Pop culture picks – 59:02

It’s a huge week for news: Google I/O happened, and we finally got a close look at the Pixel Fold and the company’s latest AI plans. Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham also joins to discuss his review of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the follow-up to one of the greatest games ever made. (No pressure, Nate!) We also chat about Nintendo’s confirmation that it won’t be announcing any new hardware until next year, and the perils of chatbots serving as the latest avatars for Hindu gods in India.

Google’s Pixel Fold was finally announced (it’s $1,799) – 1:25

Also announced at Google I/O: a ton of Bard integration in search, Pixel Tablet and Pixel 7a – 14:43

Nate Ingraham’s Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom review – 39:29

Nintendo says no new hardware will be announced this year – 52:51

Roku is doing home security now – 56:40

AI Updates: Religious chatbots run the risk of sparking violence in India – 58:12

Working on – 1:03:45

Pop culture picks – 1:05:43

Samsung's Galaxy Ring is here, and honestly it's just a bit basic. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into what does and doesn't work with Samsung's latest wearable. Also, we discuss Friend's new AI gadget, which listens to your conversations and sends text messages to help you feel less lonely. To get a better sense of the device, Devindra also talks to Friend's CEO, Avi Schiffmann, about why he's leaning away from the productivity side of AI helpers and more towards the vibes of friendly AI. (And yes, we also ask why he spent $1.8 million of Friend's $2.5 million funding just to buy the Friend.com domain.)

In other news, we discuss the potential impact of KOSA (the Kids Online Safety Act) with India McKinney, the EFF’s Director of Federal Affairs. While lawmakers are uniformly positioning KOSA as a way to protect kids on the internet, it could also lead to draconian censorship and destroy free speech on the web as we know it.

Cherlynn reviews the Samsung Galaxy Ring: Great sleep tracking, but needs more features – 2:13

Interview with Avi Schiffmann, founder of AI wearable company Friend – 27:27

KOSA passes the senate – we chat with EFF’s India McKinney about why it matters – 48:22

What we’ve learned since the massive 7/19 Crowdstrike outage – 1:12:07

Elon Musk shared an AI altered video of Kamala Harris without labeling, breaking the rules of his own site – 1:18:57

Apple Intelligence arrives in the iOS 18.1 developer beta – 1:21:57

Google makes peace with third-party cookies after years of mixed signals – 1:26:38

Around Engadget: Mat Smith’s Galaxy Flip 6 review – 1:29:36

Working on – 1:31:44

Pop culture picks – 1:32:22

Sony’s next “PSP,” the PlayStation Portal, is one odd little device. It can only stream games from your PlayStation 5 – beyond that, it’s a $200 doorstop. In this episode, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with CNET’s Scott Stein about the Portal and the many ways it baffles us. While it does manage to stream games from the PS5 just fine, it’s also expensive, clunky and lacks basic features like Bluetooth audio support. It’s really only meant for the most diehard PS5 owners (and even they should probably wait for a sale).

What was Sony thinking with the Playstation Portal? (With CNET’s Scott Stein) – 0:54

Microsoft rebrands Bing Chat to Copilot – 27:34

Qi 2 wireless charging standard will bring Magsafe’s satisfying magnetic click to all supported phones – 34:03

Nothing Phone 2 is getting iMessage...sort of – 47:40

Late breaking: Apple confirms RCS is coming to iPhones next year – 52:15

WhatsApp free storage on Google Drive is coming to an end – 53:53

Working on – 1:06:52

Pop culture picks – 1:07:34

It’s a bigger than usual AI week for Microsoft, thanks to its Build developer conference. This week, we chat with Panos Panay, Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer, about Windows Copilot, a new “AI assistant” headed to Windows 11. Is this just a smarter Clippy, or will AI actually transform the way we use Windows? Also, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss what’s up with Apple’s Mixed Reality headset as we gear up for WWDC in a few weeks.

Microsoft announces AI in just about everything at Build 2023 – 1:42

Devindra’s interview with Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay – 11:28

Processing the interview with Panos and other headlines from Build – 33:57

Bloomberg report on Apple’s AR headset reveals significant divisions within the company – 45:55

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announces his Presidential bid in a glitch-filled Twitter Space with Elon Musk – 56:00

Amazon’s Fire Max 11 looks read to do actual work – 1:03:22

What we’re working on – 1:08:01

Pop culture picks – 1:09:59

We’ve spent the last week with the Apple Vision Pro and we have thoughts! This week, Senior Writer Sam Rutherford and Podcast Producer Ben Ellman join Devindra to chat about his Vision Pro review, as well as their first impressions of the headset. It’s far from a slam dunk, but it’s also one of the most fascinating devices we’ve ever seen. We dive into Apple’s impressive 3D Immersive Videos, the elegant simplicity of the Vision Pro’s eye tracking and hand gestures, and the trouble with wearing such a heavy headset.

Devindra Hardawar’s Apple Vision Pro review: Beta testing the future – 0:49

Microsoft’s gaming division is expected to announce former exclusive games going multiplatform – 51:06

Maliciously edited video of President Biden is allowed to stay by Facebook’s oversight board – 54:30

Add Taylor Swift to the list of celebrities who don’t want their jets tracked – 57:35

Working on – 1:00:10

Pop culture picks – 1:00:50

Samsung’s Galaxy S24 phones are all about AI, but how do they compare against Google’s AI tech? This week, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss what works and doesn’t about Samsung’s ambitious new smartphones, and why it may be a good thing for the Korean giant to directly compete with Google. Also, Senior Editor Karissa Bell joins to discuss the social media CEO Senate hearing, which, unsurprisingly, doesn’t really amount to much.

Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Ultra reviews: AI with mixed results – 0:47

Senate gathers social media CEOs over online child safety – 15:15

Graphic images of Taylor Swift on X prompts U.S. bill to let people sue over sexual deepfakes – 28:11

Universal Music Group pulls songs from TikTok during talks on a new music rights deal – 33:05

Delaware court denies Elon Musk’s “unfathomable” Tesla payday – 38:31

Neuralink claims to have implanted its first chip in a human test subject – 40:32

Google reveals new text-to-image generative AI tool, ImageFX – 41:46

Working on – 47:00

Pop culture picks – 51:29

Right as we’re heading into Christmas, Apple has been forced to stop sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the US, due to an ongoing patent dispute with Masimo over pulse oximeters. To break down what’s going on, Devindra and Ben chat with Christina Farr, a health tech investor at OMERS Ventures and author of the newsletter Second Opinion. It turns out Apple has made a habit of tempting people away from competing companies, and that includes Masimo’s former chief medical officer. Did Apple really steal trade secrets? Or does it just look very guilty since it had the means and motive to copy Masimo’s technology?

Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 sales ban chat with Chrissy Farr – 1:49

Generative image model LAION-5B has over 1000 CSAM images in its dataset – 20:07

PS5 outsold Xbox 3 to 1 in 2023, lifetime PS5 sales hit 50 million – 24:00

Hackers release footage from Insomniac’s Wolverine after 1.67TB data breach – 34:35

Working on – 37:24

Pop culture picks – 38:07

The latest batch of rumors make it pretty clear that a PlayStation 5 Pro is coming this year, but will anyone really care about slightly better 4K graphics? This week, Engadget Senior Editor Jessica Conditt joins Cherlynn and Devindra to chat about the PS5 Pro, as well as her piece on the PlayDate two years after its release. You could say the Playdate is pretty much the opposite of another expensive high-end console. In other news, we discuss the death of Boston Dynamic's hydraulic Atlas robot, and the birth of an all-new digital model. We also chat about the abrupt closure of Possibility Space, an ambitious indie game studio.

Jess Conditt on Playstation 5 Pro rumors – 0:48

Jess’ thoughts on Panic’s innovative handheld, the Playdate, 2 years later – 14:24

Indie game studio Possibility Space announces closure, CEO blames media leaks – 27:29

Other News: Boston Dynamics unveils new, all electric Atlas robot – 35:39

Menteebot is a human-sized, GPT-powered robot you can command with natural language – 39:52

NASA confirms Florida man’s house was hit by space junk – 44:06

Sony (finally) changes its confusing product names – 46:05

Working on – 50:35

Pop culture picks – 56:35

This week, our hosts are joined by UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith to dive into the most interesting devices that were announced at Mobile World Congress, which has been happening this week in Barcelona. Are foldables getting more interesting, or are they going to become as stale as regular smartphones have become? Also, just how fast is too fast when it comes to charging? Then, we go over Cherlynn’s review of the Galaxy S23+ and why Microsoft bringing Bing AI to the Windows 11 taskbar isn’t what it seems.

What’s cool at Mobile World Congress with UK bureau chief Mat Smith – 1:22

Hands on with the Oppo Find N2 Flip – 6:44

Motorola’s Rizr is a concept phone with a rolling screen – 21:09

Samsung Galaxy S23+ review: solid, but not outstanding – 31:17

Microsoft brings Bing AI to the Windows 11 taskbar…sort of – 32:43

Meta says it plans to release AR glasses in 2027 – 34:51

US House panel gives Biden the power to ban TikTok – 38:00

Working on – 41:17

Pop culture picks – 42:57

While our reviewers spend time testing the numerous Samsung devices that were just announced, this episode Cherlynn and Sam dive into the relatively slow week in tech. Of course, we can’t escape the onslaught of news coming from X-Twitter-Musk land, just like how residents from a building across from the company’s San Francisco headquarters were unable to escape from blinding lights this weekend. We also go over some updates from Meta and Google and discover why Cherlynn loves clowns.

This week in X/Twitter news: A disturbing strobe-light of a logo and hiding your checkmark – 1:21

Tesla under investigation for steering and battery range issues – 11:31

Half of Meta Threads users are now inactive – 24:16

Meta may be working on an Abraham Lincoln AI chatbot – 29:39

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests the iPhone 15 could come with USB-C charging – 37:58

Working on – 54:13

Pop culture picks – 56:47

It’s time for the summer Olympics and also the gadget Olympics? Who can outdo Samsung when it comes to launching new products every year? At its second Unpacked event of 2024, Samsung showed off seven different devices: the Galaxy Ring, Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Buds 3, Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6. Many of these look familiar, sure, but Samsung copying Apple copying Samsung copying other smaller companies is a tired, old tale. Our hosts Cherlynn Low and Sam Rutherford dig into all the highlights from Samsung’s event in Paris this week, as well as some other news in streaming services.

Samsung’s Unpacked in Paris unveiled a ton of new tech – 1:12

The Galaxy Ring: finally, a proper launch – 6:07

Galaxy Watch Ultra: Eerily similar to Apple’s – 16:16

Galaxy Buds 3, now with an AirPod-like stick – 22:22

Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6: very welcome refresh – 27:47

Xbox to offer cloud gaming on certain Amazon Fire TV sticks – 48:29

Paramount+ will stay intact…for now – 51:18

Apple Blog TUAW comes back as an AI content farm – 56:00

Working on – 1:00:18

Pop culture picks – 1:01:20

It’s the week before CES officially kicks off in Las Vegas, but our fingers are already tired from typing up a ton of early news. In this episode, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss the big topics they expect to see at CES 2024 (AI PCs will be huge, we swear!), as well as some of the stories that have already landed, like Dell’s revamped XPS line. Also, we explore some of 2023’s biggest winners and losers (just take a guess where Twitter ends up), and we chat about Apple Fitness+ highlighting Super Bowl halftime performers. And for a bit of fun conjecture, we explore the viability of Apple purchasing Peloton to bolster its health ambitions.

AI PCs, fun robots and weird healthtech: What we’re looking forward to at CES 2024 – 1:07

Samsung announces Odyssey 240hz OLED gaming monitors ahead of CES – 22:18

Dell unveils new line of XPS laptops – 23:23

GE’s indoor smoker brings (smokeless) BBQ inside – 27:08

Engadget’s Best and Worst of 2023 lists – 33:42

Samsung’s first Unpacked of 2024 scheduled for January 17 – 50:29

13-year-old becomes the first (recorded) person to reach the NES Tetris kill screen – 52:37

Pop culture picks – 57:26

This week, Cherlynn and Sam are joined by noted foldables lover Michael Fisher (aka Mr Mobile) to talk all about their respective reviews of Samsung’s latest products. Why are our hosts more excited for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 than the Z Fold 5? Is Samsung coasting? Then, we discuss the latest happenings in X vs Threads, as well as a bunch of lighthearted news in tech this week.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 reviews with MrMobile – 1:22

Will Elon actually pay for lawsuits related to posts on X? – 41:32

Threads is getting a website and search – 49:16

Slack UI changes are coming to your workspace soon – 54:31

MrBeast is getting countersued for $100m – 1:03:21

Working on – 1:13:55

Pop culture picks – 1:19:52

This week, Cherlynn gives us her on-the-ground thoughts from Apple’s iPhone 15 launch event. It turns out the iPhone 15 Pro’s titanium case is actually noticeably lighter! We’re all also intrigued by Apple’s new double-tap gesture in the Watch Series 9. (Don’t be surprised if it ends up training us how to use the Vision Pro’s gesture commands!)

Also, Engadget reporter Malak Saleh joins to discuss her review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, as well as Dyson’s ridiculous Zone air filter mask/headphones.

iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9 hands-on – 1:05

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 review – 37:40

The U.S. v Google antitrust trial is underway – 45:50

Intel officially unveils Thunderbolt 5 – 48:57

Unity’s per-install fee upsets indie game devs – 55:21

Dyson Zone personal air filter review – 1:02:22

Working on – 1:14:32

Pop culture picks – 1:15:47

It's been a quiet week of news, but we've been feverishly testing Microsoft's new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop Copilot+ AI PCs. In this episode, Devindra and Sam will answer your questions about Microsoft’s new hardware, and we'll deliver some of our first impressions. It turns out Microsoft may have finally gotten Windows on Arm support right! And some of the Copilot+ AI features are actually useful, surprisingly enough. But we'll have to wait a few months to test out the controversial Recall feature, which was pulled from the Copilot+ launch.

Dev and Sam’s first thoughts and an AMA on the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop Copilot+ AI PCs – 1:05

News from Nintendo direct: New Zelda, Mario, and finally, Metroid Prime 4 – 25:46

Former OpenAI chief scientist launches Safe Superintelligence, inc – 35:02

Wired report: AI search engine Perplexity is ignoring robots.txt guidelines – 37:36

Listener question: What do you do with 8 gig fiber home internet? – 41:08

Working on – 46:51

Pop culture picks – 48:09

Apple’s Mac just turned 40 years old! This week, Devindra chats with Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham about his Mac retrospective. We focus on how much has changed since Apple’s disastrous 2016 lineup, why the Apple Silicon chips feel so revolutionary, and look back at our earliest Mac experiences. Also, we review the Framework Laptop 16, a wonderfully modular miracle of a laptop, but one that we wish had more graphics power for gaming. (But hey, at least you can replace the GPU eventually!).

Framework Laptop 16 review: Amazingly modular, but not so great at gaming – 1:17

The Mac turns 40 – 19:27

More tech layoffs at Blizzard/Activision, Riot, eBay and others – 49:58

Apple’s Car concept is allegedly still alive – 52:44

Apple overhauls App Store rules in response to European Union regulation – 58:25

Working on – 1:09:30

Pop culture picks – 1:13:40

We’re still waiting for Apple to deliver a real foldable iPhone, but that didn’t stop a group of engineers in China from crafting their own prototype. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into the possibility of a real foldable iPhone, plus they discuss Meta’s massive layoffs and the fast downfall of the crypto exchange FTX. Also, what are the ethics of Apple limiting AirDrop in China (and eventually the rest of the world)?

Chinese modders made a foldable iPhone – 1:32

Meta lays off 11,000 people worldwide – 12:48

Sale of crypto exchange FTX to Chinese-based Binance fails – 20:56

Musk Twitter is a mess: the weekly update – 26:41

Apple sets time limit for receiving Airdrops in China – 31:38

Volvo unveils its EX90 EV SUV – 35:52

Instagram’s web client has finally been redesigned – 39:37

Google starts issuing Stadia refunds – 41:22

Working on – 47:03

Pop culture picks – 49:10

It’s been a wild week for social media! While Twitter encountered many self-inflicted wounds, users jumped to Blue Sky and Mastodon. Then Meta decided it was a fine time to drop its Twitter copycat, Threads. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Engadget’s Karissa Bell about where all of these services are headed. Will Threads be the clear winner, thanks to Instagram’s social graph? Or will the future lie with fully decentralized platforms like Mastodon?

Twitter continues to crumble, Meta introduces Threads Twitter clone – 1:10

The next AirPods Pro release could include health features like a hearing test and body temperature sensors – 34:06

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro prototype leaked – 37:18

EU Digital Markets Act identifies a class of large ‘gatekeeper’ tech companies for additional regulation – 51:07

U.S. Federal Trade Commission announces huge fines for fake product reviews – 55:45

Working on – 1:03:19

Picks – 1:06:15

The Rabbit R1 is finally here, and it's yet another useless AI gadget. Sure, at $199 with no monthly fee, it's a lot cheaper than the $699 Humane AI Pin. But the R1 is slow, hard to use, and doesn't actually do much. The much-promised "Large Action Model" mostly powers things you can easily do on your phone. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget's Sam Rutherford chat with CNET's Lisa Eadacicco about the Rabbit R1 and whether AI devices are necessary at all. Just like cameras, the best AI device is the one you always have with you: your smartphone.

Rabbit R1 review: appealing design, underwhelming performance – 0:49

Tesla lays off Supercharger development team leaving future of the network unclear – 25:28

FCC fines U.S. wireless carriers $200m for selling customer location data – 30:05

Razer will refund all Zephyr mask purchases over false N95 filtering claims – 32:52

Drake deletes track featuring an AI clone of Tupac Shakur’s voice – 35:16

Working on – 36:23

Pop culture picks – 40:18

What good is Reddit without the support of its community? This week, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss the recent subreddit revolts, following the company’s decision to dramatically increase the cost of its API for third parties. They’re joined by Ryan Broderick, the internet culture reporter behind the must-read newsletter Garbage Day. Will the protests amount to any sort of change? Or will Reddit CEO Steve Huffman prevail and make the company ready for a potential IPO? Also, we dive into our reviews of the new MacBook Air 15, as well as the M2 Ultra Mac Studio. Who needs a Mac Pro when Apple has such a powerful desktop already?

Why are Redditors protesting Reddit’s API changes? – 1:15

M2 Mac Studio and 15-inch MacBook Air reviews – 19:14

U.S. Federal Trade Commission files injunction to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision/Blizzard – 27:04

Alan Wake 2, South of Midnight and Baby Steps are Summer Games Fest standouts – 30:29

Working on – 34:06

Pop culture picks – 36:26

Google finally opened up its Bard AI for testing, and it turns out it’s a little loopy. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into their experience with Bard, as well as how it compares with Microsoft’s BingAI (and GPT4, consequently). Also, we discuss even more AI news from NVIDIA, Microsoft and Midjourney, as well as TikTok CEO Shou Chew’s date with Congress.

Google opened its Bard AI chatbot to the masses, it seems a little drunk – 1:22

So many other AI updates from Microsoft, NVIDIA, Adobe and more – 23:14

Other news: TikTok’s CEO goes to Congress – 36:25

Cherlynn’s experience with Tesla’s wireless charging platform – 42:05

Acer announces production on…an e-bike?? – 48:20

Around Engadget: Tripod desk, Konnected Kamada Joe grill, history of game controllers – 49:43

Working on – 51:57

Pop culture picks – 54:56

This week has felt like a month worth of news, now that we've wrapped up Apple's WWDC 2024 and Summer Game Fest in LA. In this episode, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss their final thoughts on Apple Intelligence and the company's upcoming software, and they chat about some of our coverage highlights from the pseudo-E3 Game Fest. Also, we dive into X making likes private (what is Elon hiding?!) and the news around Sony buying the Alamo Drafthouse theater chain.

Our final thoughts on WWDC 2024 – 1:31

Bloomberg Report: Apple isn't paying OpenAI a fee for ChatGPT, but will share profits – 12:18

Summer Games Fest highlights: Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, LEGO Horizon Adventures, and an Assassin’s Creed finally set in Japan – 25:06

X makes users’ likes private – 40:27

ChromeOS will soon run on Android frameworks, enabling more AI on upcoming Chromebooks – 44:40

Pop culture picks – 49:44

We've been reporting on AI PCs, or computers featuring CPUs with neural processing units (NPUs), for over a year. but the concept still feels like a buzz word for most consumers. We're still waiting on potentially interesting AI features, like Microsoft's Recall and Apple Intelligence's smarter Siri. So why should anyone make sure there next computer is an AI PC?

In this interview, Devindra chats with Jason Banta, AMD's Corporate VP and GM of Client OEM, and Rakesh Anigundi, AMD's Ryzen AI product lead, about how their company is thinking about AI PCs. How is AMD courting developers? And now that we've seen Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and X Pro chips in action, will AMD ever consider making a low-power Arm-based chip in the future?

This week, we’re focusing on Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), an annual event meant to promote the need for accessible tech solutions. Cherlynn returns to tell us what Apple, Google, Adobe and others are doing to make their products more useful for people with disabilities (and, it turns out, many general users too). We also discuss Sam Altman’s trip to Congress, and why we’re not entirely impressed with the OpenAI CEO’s calls for AI regulation. Finally, we explain why the BlackBerry movie is one of the best films about tech ever made (take that, Tetris!).

Tech companies highlight new features for Global Accessibility Awareness Day – 1:27

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman goes to Congress and advocates for A.I. regulation – 34:24

Amazon announced a bunch of hardware: new Echo Buds, Echo Show and Echo Pop – 45:10

Montana’s TikTok ban has been signed, scheduled to go into effect in 2024 – 49:04

Working On (and Cherlynn’s experience on the ground at Google I/O) – 53:55

Pop culture picks – 1:04:44

This week, we chat with Senior Editor Andrew Tarantola about Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain computer interface (BCI) company. The FDA reportedly denied approval for human trials last week—Andy explains why that happened, as well as what BCIs could mean for humans in the future. Also, Cherlynn dives into the accessibility news from Microsoft’s Ability Summit.

What’s going on with Neuralink and BCI tech? – 2:05

Elon Musk goes after disabled Twitter employee, quickly apologizes – 19:52

Microsoft touts new accessibility tech at 2023 Ability Summit – 28:32

Sonos’ Era 300 speaker finally has spatial audio – 35:04

What we think of the Yellow iPhone and a few other colorful gadgets announced this week – 45:25

Working On – 51:49

Around Engadget: the reMarkable Folio is a very pretty e-paper keyboard – 54:28

Pop culture picks – 56:29

Fresh off of Apple’s “Wonderlust” event, Devindra and Engadget Editor-in-Chief Dana Wollman dive into the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro and the Apple Watch Series 9. We explain why Apple’s move towards USB-C on the iPhones has been a long time coming, and why we’re excited about even more emergency satellite calling capabilities. And while the Apple Watch Series 9 looks like a worthwhile upgrade, we’re more intrigued by the new double tap finger gesture.

AI can now place us inside South Park episodes – should we be worried? This week, Devindra and Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham chat with Edward Saatchi, the CEO of The Simulation, about his company’s new AI technology that can generate TV episodes, movies and more. We preview a test South Park episode featuring Devindra, and discuss if this technology is actually a good thing for creatives. Also, Editor at Large James Trew joins to discuss his piece on AI-powered immortality. And to keep the sci-fi theme going, Devindra chats with the director and writer of Netflix’s They Cloned Tyrone, Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier.

Interview with The Simulation CEO Edward Saatchi – 0:59

James Trew on digital immortality and AI’s place in a new field, “grief tech” – 20:48

Microsoft / Activision Blizzard’s final merger deadline pushed to October – 32:19

Apple is working on its own generative AI chatbot – 33:19

Google tests AI tool to generate news articles – 38:15

ASUS takes over Intel’s NUC PC business – 44:20

Around Engadget: Sam Rutherford’s Nothing Phone 2 review – 51:21

Listener mail: Rohan from Singapore on what’s keeping the iPad from being a “real” computer – 56:11

Working on – 1:03:54

Pop culture picks – 1:07:43

Interview with the the creators of the new Netflix movie They Cloned Tyrone – 1:13:25

Finally, a Kindle you can write on! This week, we dive into Cherlynn’s review of the Kindle Scribe, Amazon’s first e-reader that can also capture handwritten notes. The hardware is great, but as usual, Amazon’s software feels half-baked. Also, Devindra and Cherlynn discuss the rise of new Twitter alternatives like Hive Social and Post. It looks like many communities are already splintering off to these services, but unfortunately, they can’t yet replicate the magic of Twitter.

Kindle Scribe review – 1:13

Rise of the Twitter clones: Hive Social, Post, and Mastodon – 19:28

Amazon will lose $10 billion on its Alexa division this year – 34:12

We’ve got a new trailer for the Super Mario Bros. animated movie – 38:01

Working on – 43:58

Pop culture picks – 45:30

The Meta Quest 3 is here, and it’s the best standalone VR headset we’ve ever seen. But is that enough to make people care about virtual reality? In this episode, Devindra and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford chat with Tested’s Norm Chan about the Quest 3 and Meta’s mixed reality future. While the company’s vision of the metaverse is pretty sterile, it’s still nice to see Meta learning from the mistakes of the Quest Pro.

Sam also dives into his Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro reviews, as well as his thoughts about the Pixel Watch 2. We also dive into Wired’s retraction of an op-ed claiming that Google manipulated your search queries, as well as Twitter/X’s complete inability to deliver accurate news during the Hamas and Israel conflict.

Timestamps:

Meta Quest 3 Review with Tested’s Norm Chan – 1:44

Sam Rutherford’s Pixel 8 review: We’re finally excited about mobile AI again – 36:18

Other News: Wired retracts op-ed about Google changing search queries – 56:04

Israel-Hamas conflict misinformation shows X moderation is completely broken – 58:09

Google reportedly pays Apple $18-20 billion a year to remain iOS default search engine – 1:03:08

Sony finally announces PS5 Slim – 1:09:31

California passes Right to Repair law – 1:11:29

Working on – 1:13:44

Pop culture picks – 1:16:26

This week, it’s all about cars and Lucy Liu in VR. Devindra chats with Senior Writer Sam Rutherford about his visit to the New York International Auto Show, where he saw the Polestar 4, a unique new EV without a rear window. Also, Cherlynn pops in to chat with Lucy Liu about her new VR game, The Pirate Queen. We also explore the issues around Florida’s bill banning young kids from social media sites, and Sam tells us why he likes Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender adaptation.

Sam Rutherford on what’s new in EVs and car tech from the New York Auto Show – 0:57

Cherlynn Low interviews Lucy Liu about her new VR game The Pirate Queen – 34:39

Florida Governor signs bill banning young children from social media – 54:55

Intel confirms Copilot will eventually run locally – 58:33

There’s finally a version of Chrome that runs well on ARM-based Windows machines – 1:02:43

Canadian researchers have created a camera that takes 156.3 trillion frames per second – 1:05:06

Working on – 1:07:08

Pop culture picks – 1:12:44

In this bonus episode, Devindra and Engadget Contributing Reporter Kris Holt break down everything new (and not so new) in the iPhone 16 lineup. Is Apple Intelligence alone enough to entice iPhone owners to upgrade? Does anyone actually need the camera button? And why are we so intrigued by the Apple Watch Series 10 (which is undoubtedly the most interesting product Apple launched today).

After tons of typing and running around Apple’s campus, we’re ready to wrap up WWDC 2023. This week, Devindra chats with Editor-in-Chief Dana Wollman and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford about Apple’s foray into spatial computing with the Vision Pro, the 15-inch MacBook Air, and the company’s many (many) software announcements. Also, we discuss Spotify’s latest podcast flubs, Diablo 4, and the new Genndy Tartakovsky animated series Unicorn: Warriors Eternal.

Wrapping up WWDC 2023: a few more thoughts on the newly-announced Vision Pro – 1:44

MacBook Air 15-inch, Mac Studio refresh, and the first Mac Pro update since 2019 –10:40

What's new in iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and MacOS Sonoma – 16:34

Spotify lays off 200 in podcast group, combines Gimlet and Parcast into Spotify Studios – 40:57

Working on – 47:19

Pop culture picks – 49:16

This week, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss some of the editorial changes happening at Engadget. We’ve lost some amazing colleagues, but we’re still here aiming to deliver the best tech coverage possible. As for this week’s news, we chat about the reported death of Apple’s “Project Titan” EV car project. It never felt quite real, but it still would have been fun to see.

Here’s a hot take: Maybe the Apple Car felt redundant since Tesla basically built it already. Say what you will about Elon Musk today, but Tesla certainly disrupted the car industry in all of the ways we’d expect Apple to. Agree? Disagree? Let us know what you think at podcast@engadget.com.

Topics:

What happened with Engadget last week: layoffs and our continued commitment to tech journalism – 0:31

RIP Apple Car 2014-2024 – 9:11

Nintendo’s successor to the Switch delayed to 2025 – 21:53

Microsoft opens more Xbox exclusives to PS5 and Switch – 25:24

Google renames AI suite, ends up in hot water over image generation – 33:47

Pop culture picks – 43:21

Our reviews of the iPhone 16 Pro and Apple Watch Series 10 are up, thanks to one very tired Cherlynn Low. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn discuss her final thoughts on Apple's new hardware, including why the iPhone 16 Pro’s photo processing is particularly interesting. In other news, we also chat about Snap's fifth-generation AR Spectacles, as well as HTC Vive's new Focus Vision headset.

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max reviews: great cameras, but incomplete without Apple Intelligence – 0:59

Israel linked to coordinated pager and walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon – 42:29

Snap’s 5th generation glasses with AR look chunky in a bad way – 48:17

HTC’s Vive Focus Vision: an intriguing VR headset at a price between the Quest 3 and Vision Pro – 51:35

Lionsgate films made a deal with the AI devil – 52:40

Pop culture picks – 55:48

It looks like Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is trucking along, following a court rejection of the FTC’s injunction attempt. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Jordan Minor, a Senior Analyst at PCMag covering games, about this massive deal and what it means for the gaming industry. Will further consolidation end up being harmful for consumers (as we’ve been saying for a while), or will Microsoft actually help the beleaguered Activision? Also, we dive into our experiences with the latest Apple betas: iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma and watchOS 10.

Microsoft is (mostly) cleared to buy Activision Blizzard for $69 billion – 00:56

Our previews of the iOS 17, iPad OS 17, macOS Sonoma, and WatchOS 10 betas – 21:55

Meta’s Threads hits 100m users, Elon is not happy about it – 47:58

Microsoft confirms Chinese hackers used 365 email exploit to access US government accounts – 51:32

Google’s Bard can now speak 40 languages – 52:29

Around Engadget: Sam Rutherford’s ROG Ally review and Katie Malone on why passkeys are suddenly everywhere – 1:01:46

Working on – 1:05:47

Pop culture picks – 1:07:06

We’ve survived day one of Apple’s WWDC ‘23, and we’re ready to talk about the company’s new Vision Pro mixed reality headset. In this bonus episode, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into their thoughts on Apple’s spatial computing play, as well as Devindra’s 30-minute hands on session with the headset. It’s undoubtedly the best AR/VR experience we’ve seen yet, but there are still plenty of issues Apple needs to solve.

This week, we’re joined by tech critic Paris Marx to discuss Data Vampires, his latest Tech Won’t Save us podcast series. We discuss how data centers suck up vast amounts of power, water and other resources, and why the AI boom is exacerbating those issues. Also, Devindra and Ben dive into a few news stories, including the DOJ inching closer towards a Google antitrust breakup; Nintendo's adorable motion sensing alarm clock, Alarmo; and why Google's Deepmind AI head won the Nobel Prize for chemistry.

Interview with Tech Won’t Save Us host Paris Marx on his new series, Data Vampires – 2:09

U.S. regulators continue to float the possibility of breaking Google up in antitrust ruling – 25:54

Nintendo announces new hardware…Alarmo, a motion sensing alarm clock – 39:33

Apple Intelligence likely arrives October 28 – 42:27

343 Industries rebrands as Halo Studios and shows off Unreal Engine 5 demo – 44:46

Pop culture picks – 50:36

This week, it’s Meta’s turn to highlight AI during its device event. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn dive into all of the news from Meta’s Connect 2023 event, where it unveiled Meta AI and accompanying celebrity-powered chatbots. Oh yah, and it introduced the Meta Quest 3 and new Ray-Ban smart glasses, too. More so than the metaverse and VR, it’s really AI that Zuckerberg wants to push across all of Meta’s apps and devices.

And in other news, we discuss why the end of the WGA strike is a big deal for AI in Hollywood; ex-Microsoft exec Panos Panay officially heading to Amazon; and why the FTC is targeting Amazon over its potential ecommerce monopoly.

Meta’s Connect event announces Quest 3 VR, Ray-Ban smart glasses and a slew of AI – 0:35

Hollywood Writers’ Guild ends strike with studio agreements on AI authorship, streaming residuals – 28:51

Panos Panay is officially going to head Amazon’s devices team – 32:03

FTC sues Amazon over ‘monopolistic practices’ – 35:30

FCC revives Obama-era net neutrality rules – 37:59

Jony Ive and Sam Altman are working on AI-powered hardware – 40:43

Top U.S. spy agencies are working on AI chatbots of their own – 55:56

Working on – 58:24

Pop culture picks – 59:23

We still have months to wait before Dune: Part Two hits theaters, so what better time to reminisce about David Lynch's intriguing adaptation of Frank Herbert's masterpiece? Reviled at the time, Lynch's Dune has now firmly established itself as a cult sci-fi epic, a film with boundless creative energy hampered by studio interference.

In this bonus episode, Devindra chats with film journalist Max Evry, author of A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch's Dune. We explore why he devoted two years of his life towards researching an unloved film, as well as how it's a refreshing departure from the superhero films dominating theaters today.

Google is officially a monopoly, according to a US court. But what does that really mean? This week, Devindra and Senior Editor Karissa Bell dive into the landmark Google antitrust case to explore how it could affect the future of search. Google claims it's simply delivering the best product, but clearly the court thinks otherwise. Also, we chat about X/Twitter's desperate lawsuit against advertisers who boycotted the social network.

Stay tuned to the end of this episode for an interview with the creators of HBO Max's Industry, Mickey Down and Konrad Kay. We discuss season three of the series, which recently premiered, and how they plan to deconstruct the excesses of overhyped tech startups.

A U.S. court declared Google a monopoly, now what? – 1:22

X (formerly Twitter) sues advertisers for “illegal boycott” of their platform – 19:15

Meet Chromecast’s successor, the Google TV Streamer – 33:49

Less than a year after SAG strike, Meta is offering actors millions to use their voice in AI – 41:01

Where does all the Facebook AI slop come from? 404Media found out – 44:30

People are returning Humane’s AI Pin faster than they can sell them – 50:23

Working on – 53:43

Pop culture picks – 53:58

Industry interview with Mickey Down and Konrad Kay - 1:02:00

We've spent some time with the iPad Pro M4 and new iPad Air... and the iPad Pro is still a bit too pricey for us. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham about his reviews and why he still prefers the iPad Air. Also, we wrap up Google I/O 2024 with a Project Astra hands on, and we chat about Apple bringing eye tracking to iPhones and iPads as an accessibility feature.

Nate Ingraham reviews the iPad Pro M4 and iPad Air: Powerful, but pricy – 1:11

Google I/O news wrap up – 20:11

OpenAI’s new GPT-4o can talk, sing, and sounds a little flirty – 28:36

Intel brings back the days of FireWire data transfer with Thunderbolt Share – 31:43

New accessibility features from Apple: eye tracking and expanded wake word options – 35:48

Biden administration quadruples tariffs on Chinese EVs (along with solar and other hardware) – 43:20

Listener Mailbag: The age old question of what to do with your old tech – 55:48

Working on – 1:01:32

Pop culture picks – 1:05:45

We've finally had a chance to try the PlayStation 5 Pro and Engadget's Jessica Conditt has come away impressed. In this episode, Devindra and Jess chat about what the PS5 Pro does well, and discuss who a $700 console is actually meant for. Also, coming off of Meta Connect 2024, Karissa Bell joins to chat about her time with the Quest 3S, as well as her thoughts about Meta's Orion AR headset and AI plans.

Jessica Conditt’s PS5 Pro hands on: 60fps makes so much difference – 0:42

Karissa Bell’s dispatch from Meta Connect 2024 – 27:04

Meta Quest 3S: an impressive and affordable step forward in consumer VR – 28:55

Orion AR glasses are a big swing, just don’t expect to buy them any time soon – 32:50

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses – 38:28

Pop culture picks – 58:24

CES is on! This week, Devindra and UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith chat about some of the biggest news from the show, including massive upgrades for laptops, wild new TV concepts and two different pee analyzers! As usual, CES is a mix of major news and random weirdness. Senior Editor Karissa Bell also joins to give us her perspective on the ground at the show.

• What to look for at CES 2023 – 1:36
• PC hardware: Intel and AMD release mobile chips, NVIDIA’s 4090 will be in laptops – 3:53
• TVs and home theater tech at CES – 21:03
• Displace’s OLED TV will suction mount to your wall – 24:43
• Accessibility at CES: L’Oréal’s motorized lipstick applicator and Sony’s Project Leonardo PS5 gamepad –49:28
• Weird stuff: Why were there two different pee analyzers at CES? – 51:25
• Other news – 1:05:52
• Karissa Bell’s in-person CES experience – 1:08:24
• Pop culture picks – 1:15:50

This week, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Senior Commerce Editor, Valentina Palladino, about our massive Holiday Gift Guide. If you’re looking for a decent laptop to gift, or maybe some budget gear for yourself, we’ve got you covered! Also, they dig into the FTX debacle (which got much worse than last week!), and Elon Musk’s ongoing fail whale Twitter acquisition. And on a surprising note, we end up having strong feelings about Amazon’s chat-based virtual healthcare service.

Engadget 2022 Holiday Gift Guide – 1:24

NASA’s Artemis 1 rocket finally launches – 27:20

Cherlynn got to try Apple’s SOS satellite text message service – 28:56

Qualcomm announces Snapdragon chips with hardware-accelerated ray tracing – 34:33

Tuvalu turns to the metaverse to save its culture from climate change – 38:38

Meta axes its Portal video chat device – 40:21

FTX continues to collapse as regulator investigations begin – 43:15

Elon Twitter is a mess: your weekly update – 48:36

Working on – 1:02:47

Pop culture picks – 1:05:59

Another week, another concerted effort to ban TikTok in the US – except this time, it could actually happen. In this episode, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Engadget Senior Editor Karissa Bell around the latest TikTok drama. The House passed a bill that could ultimately ban the company if ByteDance doesn’t sell it off within six months. It may face a tougher fight in the Senate, but if it’s approved there President Biden has said he’s willing to sign it into law.

Is this a justified fight against the Chinese-owned social media company, or is it the sum of our political fears against all things China? (Maybe it’s a bit of both?) We discuss why this potential ban could be a huge civil rights violation, as well as the need for true data privacy laws in the US, which would apply to all social networks.

U.S. House passes bill that would give Bytedance 6 months to sell TikTok – 0:47

Microsoft’s Surface and AI event preview – 17:04

Apple will allow EU users to download some apps from websites – 27:38

Five Tesla execs earned $2.5B over the last five years while the company paid no income tax – 34:53

Around Engadget – 44:57

Working on – 48:31

Pop culture picks – 50:17

What a week! This episode, Cherlynn, Devindra and Engadget’s Sam Rutherford dive into everything we learned at Microsoft’s Surface event. No, there was no new Surface Duo or Neo, and the actual fresh hardware was mostly incremental. We also reviewed the Pixel 7, 7 Pro and Pixel Watch, and Sam had some hands-on time with the latest Quest VR headset. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s some other news from Samsung, Chromebooks and more.

Surface Studio 2+, Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Pro 9 – 1:32

Microsoft's new Designer app is powered by Dall-E – 4:56

Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro review – 32:48

Pixel Watch review – 40:34

Sam Rutherford’s Meta Quest Pro hands-on thoughts – 55:24

Other news – 1:11:47

Working on – 1:21:23

Pop culture picks – 1:24:32

Yes, Techtober is in full swing! This week, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Engadget’s Sam Rutherford about everything from the Made by Google event. That includes the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2. We give Google credit for leaning on AI long before it was trendy, but we wonder if the Pixel 8 Pro’s temperature sensor will actually be useful. Also, we dive into Samsung’s latest FE devices, Apple’s fix for overheating iPhone 15s, and Google’s Chromebook Plus initiative.

Google announces the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Watch 2 and Buds Pro, along with a slew of AI features – 1:05

Engadget’s first take on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro – 7:15

Samsung announces new FE devices – 58:51

Apple says iOS 17 update should fix those hot iPhones – 1:02:45

Google could be directing users to advertisers using semantic match algorithm – 1:12:33

Quantum Dot inventors win Nobel Prize – 1:21:11

Working on – 1:23:12

Pop culture picks – 1:25:55

Just as we expected, AI was the running theme throughout CES 2024. In this episode, Devindra and Producer Ben Ellman chat with co-host Cherlynn Low, who’s on the ground in Las Vegas with the Engadget team. We dive into AI popping into almost every product category, new standalone AI hardware, and a surprising amount of “shush” tech. In geekier news, we dive into Micron’s new RAM format for laptops, which has the potential to reshape the notebook industry, and discuss why we all may want a rolling house robot like Samsung’s Ballie. And on a sad note, we discuss the wave of tech layoffs from Google, Amazon and others.

Transparent OLED TVs, assistive gloves, and a Sony car: What’s hot at CES with Cherlynn Low – 1:09

AMD and Intel announce new chips – 28:22

Micron’s replacement for SODIMM laptop RAM is a bigger deal than you think – 38:01

Humane and Rabbit show off standalone AI devices – 45:49

New gaming laptops from ASUS, Alienware, and Razer – 53:36

Samsung’s Ballie robot could be a great multimedia companion for kids – 1:00:54

Layoffs at Amazon: Twitch to lay off 35% of its workforce – 1:16:50

Google lays off “several hundred” workers in an effort to reorganize hardware divisions – 1:18:14

Pop culture picks – 1:22:09

The IT Crowd was right! You really should try turning everything off and on again to make it work. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss how the FAA did just that to fix its NOTAM system, which alerts pilots of potential hazards. It turns out a database error was enough to send that system into a spiral, which forced the FAA to ground flights Wednesday morning. But of course, this was just one issue facing air travel in America – we also dive into Southwest’s holiday fiasco, as well as potential transportation alternatives.

FAA grounds planes after NOTAM outage – 1:34

Other News: Microsoft may have given up on the Surface Duo 3 in favor of foldables – 28:23

Biden calls for legislation on social media platforms – 35:31

NASA is funding ideas for a seaplane and faster deep space travel – 38:18

Hyundai’s new EV can “crab walk” into parallel parking spaces – 40:49

Samsung’s first Unpacked of 2023 scheduled for February 1 – 45:13

Pop culture picks – 52:47

The AI news just won’t stop! This week, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss the latest on Bing AI – Microsoft is loosening up some recent restrictions, following reports of its bad behavior – as well as the rise of ChatGPT stories on the Kindle store. Spotify is also launching its own AI DJ, starring the digitized voice of one of its current hosts. In other news, we discuss Microsoft’s recent agreements with NVIDIA and Nintendo, which could warm regulators towards approving its Activision Blizzard acquisition.

After the Microsoft and Google announcements, AI is suddenly everywhere – 1:17

Microsoft tries to win over regulators by putting Xbox games on GeForce Now – 26:29

Glucose monitoring on the Apple Watch could be coming soon – 28:16

Twitter limits SMS two-factor authentication to Blue users – 30:43

Amazon’s acquisition of One Medical is finished, regulators are still curious – 35:31

No Man’s Sky Fractal VR update is out just in time for PS VR 2 – 39:04

Working on – 42:58

Pop culture picks – 46:10

This week, Senior Editor Jessica Conditt joins to discuss what went wrong with Redfall, Microsoft’s latest Xbox exclusive that launched to middling reviews. Jess says it’s good enough for Game Pass, but that’s pretty disappointing for a game from Arkane, the studio behind Dishonored and Prey. Also, they chat about Star Wars: Jedi Survivor and its horrendous PC port, and weigh in on how AI and streaming affects the WGA strike. Stay tuned at the end for an interview with Nida Manzoor, the director of Polite Society, who talks about how she lives with tech.

Jess Conditt’s review of Redfall, a surprise disappointment from Arkane – 1:17

Also released recently, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – 16:01

AI is a factor in the WGA strike – 23:07

U.S. proposes tax on power used to mine crypto – 29:29

Report claims Elon Musk threatened to reassign NPR's Twitter account – 31:16

AI Updates: Microsoft opens Bing AI testing to all, Google AI researcher George Hinton warns the world on rapid AI adoption – 35:55

Working on – 43:36

Pop culture picks – 47:23

Devindra’s interview with ‘Polite Society’ director Nida Manzoor – 53:57

Humane’s hyped up AI Pin is finally here and, unfortunately, it stinks. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Michael Fisher (AKA MrMobile) and Wired Reviews Editor Julian Chokkattu to chat about the AI Pin and the many ways it fails. It’s often inaccurate, it takes crummy photos, and it gets way too hot. Not so great for something you’re supposed to wear all day! Is there any hope for AI-dependent gadgets? Also, Washington Post columnist Christopher Velazco joins to discuss Apple’s approval of used iPhone components for repairs.

Too much heat, too few features: Humane’s AI pin doesn’t live up to the hype – 1:09

Other News: Apple will allow devices to be repaired with secondhand parts soon – 44:08

Google’s Next 24 event announces AI video generation tool, ARM-based CPU for data centers, and Google Photos tools for all subscribers – 53:10

Working on – 1:00:59

Pop culture picks – 1:05:40

Microsoft made some unusually major moves ahead of its Build developer conference: It announced a new Copilot+ initiative for powerful AI PCs, which will be led by the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop. These machines are powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Plus and Elite chips, and they come with a special version of Windows 11 optimized for Arm mobile chips and AI. Basically, Microsoft is doing for PCs what Apple did with its M-series Macs four years ago.

In this bonus episode, Devindra chats with Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft's head of Windows and Devices, about the new Surface devices and the Copilot+ PC initiative. We still don't know how well these new machines will perform, but it sounds like Microsoft has certainly heard our complaints about Arm-based Windows devices.

Can you believe CES is just a week away? For our final episode of 2022, Cherlynn, Devindra and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford dive into their expectations for CES 2023. We’ll definitely hear more from Intel and AMD when it comes to CPUs, as well as AMD and NVIDIA’s latest mobile video cards. But we’re always keeping our eyes out for the weird stuff at the show, like Lenovo’s wild swiss army lamp, a combination webcam, facelight and USB hub. And of course, there will likely be tons of news around new TVs, PCs and cars.

CES 2023 Preview – 1:27

PC hardware to look forward to – 5:06

Phones and mobile at CES – 22:16

New TVs and gaming monitors to expect – 28:11

Wearables at CES 2023 – 35:38

Other news – 42:07

Working on – 44:47

Pop culture picks – 46:06

Microsoft finally announced the Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 today, but you won’t find them in any retail stores. You can only buy them on Microsoft’s website and through enterprise resellers. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss why Microsoft is positioning these computers for businesses, and what it could mean for the future of the Surface lineup. The company is hinting that it’ll have consumer devices soon – likely the Pro 10 and Laptop 6 without as much corporate baggage. But there may also be room for an entirely new form of Surface. Perhaps it’s time for a true Surface foldable? (Or maybe not, after seeing how the Duo performed.)

Microsoft announces Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, but you won’t find them in stores – 0:34

U.S. Justice Department files antitrust suit aimed at Apple’s “walled garden” ecosystem – 14:13

Report: Apple may tap Google for Gemini AI on iPhones – 25:01

NVIDIA claims its new Blackwell chip will power through AI workloads 30x faster using 25x less power – 33:07

Microsoft hires Deepmind cofounder Mustafa Suleyman to lead AI division – 38:00

YouTube reveals new rules for realistic AI video – 43:16

Check your Glassdoor account – real names accidentally tied to some anonymous company reviews – 44:31

Cherlynn finds the tech angle on the Kate Middleton photo debacle. Look at the metadata! – 47:03

Around Engadget – 56:05

Pop culture picks – 59:52

This week, many of us saw our social media feeds taken over by colorful, surreal pictures of people we follow, except they don’t quite look like themselves. The images were generated by Lensa AI, and it’s the latest in what feels like a now-annual trend to use a new app to create mockups of your face in various scenarios. Alongside Lensa, some folks also saw blocks of text from another AI generator, ChatGPT. So on this episode of the podcast, Devindra and Cherlynn chat the appeal, implications and possible future of these types of AI, before being joined by Engadget editor-at-large James Trew for a check in on the state of action cameras.

Lensa AI magic avatars and Chat GPT – 1:27

What’s the state of the GoPro-style action camera in 2022? – 23:47

iPhone users can now share digital car keys with Pixel owners – 43:02

iOS 16.2 includes time limits on AirDrop receiving – 47:44

Carl Pei said Nothing wants to come to the US – 53:40

Working on – 1:08:02

Picks – 1:10:51

We made it, folks! The end of the year is upon us, so Cherlynn, Devindra and UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith have gathered to break down the high and low points for the tech world. And for the first time, we duke it out to decide the first ever Engadget Podcast awards for the best and worst tech of the year. Let’s just hope things look brighter in 2023.

Engadget’s best / worst of 2022 – 1:23

Devindra, Cherlynn and Mat’s personal best / worst of the year – 27:07

Engadget Podcast Official Best / Worst of the Year – 47:36

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in the Bahamas – 1:00:09

Dell’s Concept Luna laptop can be dismantled in seconds – 1:02:41

Google’s smart home devices now support the Matter standard – 1:10:25

Working on – 1:13:22

Pop culture picks – 1:15:00

The PlayStation VR2 is here, and it’s mostly great! But its high price and limited library make it hard to recommend for many gamers. This week, Devindra and Nathan Ingraham dive into our review of the PS VR2, and why our feelings about it are sort of complicated. Also, we discuss why Bing’s AI search is catching a bad attitude, and what Microsoft has to say about it. And be sure to stay tuned for our thoughts on HBO’s The Last of Us as we reach the middle of its first season.

Playstation VR2 review: a great headset that should be cheaper – 1:30

Microsoft apologizes for strange problems with Bing’s ChatGPT service – 23:43

This week in Twitter mess: Elon takes over your main feed – 41:47

Around Engadget: Oppo Find M2 foldable review – 44:35

Pop culture picks (with minor spoilers for The Last of Us) – 50:47

Last of Us spoilers end – 1:01:15

This week, Devindra and Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham dive into Apple’s latest iPad and iPad Pro. The new base iPad seemingly justifies its price, but it also leaves out plenty of consumers who were well-served by the old $329 iPad. We hope that model sticks around for a long while. Also, we discuss if anyone needs M2 power in an iPad Pro (why not just get a MacBook?!), and we prepare for Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter. (Note: When this episode was recorded, his acquisition wasn’t finalized yet.)

Timestamps

• 1:40: iPad and iPad Pro (2022) reviews
• 25:50: Surface Pro 9 5G review
• 37:10: Elon Musk is buying Twitter, for real
• 50:20: Brief thoughts on God of War Ragnarok
• 52:50: Pop culture picks: Barbarian is on HBO Max, thoughts on Bad Sisters

Google has officially dropped its major 2024 devices a few months earlier than usual. Today at its Made By Google event, the company unveiled the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, as well as its foldable follow-up, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. As for new accessories, we got the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2. In this bonus episode, Cherlynn and Devindra chat about everything from this event, and why the heck we didn't hear more about Android 15.

(Apologies for any audio issues in this episode, it was partially recorded in a noisy hotel room.)

With the Tetris movie hitting Apple TV+ this week, we chat with the game’s creator, Alexey Pajitnov, and Henk Rogers, the man who helped bring it out of the Soviet Union. We discuss just how realistic the film is (it definitely takes plenty of fantastical liberties), the impact of Tetris on gaming and where it could be headed in the future. Also, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into the recent letter from the Future of Life Institute, which was signed by Elon Musk and other tech leaders, and called for a pause on AI development beyond GPT4. It turns out that wasn’t entirely altruistic.

Interview with Tetris designer Alexey Pajitnov and Tetris publisher Henk Rogers – 1:17

The open letter asking for a 6-month pause of AI development is more suspicious than you think – 16:57

Do the proposed U.S. DATA and RESTRICT acts reach too far in trying to ban TikTok? – 26:48

Pres. Biden bans the use of commercial spyware – 36:20

Microsoft is focused on security, AI and a light processor friendly version in Windows 12 – 39:11

Google unveils AI planning tool to help beat extreme heat due to climate change – 43:21

Apple’s WWDC dates announced: June 5 to 9 – 45:12

Working on – 57:39

Pop culture picks – 1:02:16