The Vergecast

So far, there have been exactly zero great AI-first gadgets. But that hasn't stopped the tech industry from trying to figure out what shape and size these new gadgets might take, and whether any of them can best the device in your pocket. The Verge's Allison Johnson and Victoria Song join David to rank all those shapes, from pendant to smartwatch to rectangle, to see whether there is actually a next big thing out there.

Further reading:

⁠Apple sues OpenAI for allegedly stealing hardware secrets | The Verge⁠

⁠Less is more with the Oura Ring 5 | The Verge⁠

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

We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Netflix makes shows. And movies. And podcasts. And games. And… YouTube videos, apparently. So what even is Netflix anymore? Nilay and David have ideas. After that, they talk about Meta’s ongoing smart glasses mess, and whether Meta or anyone can make these devices work. Finally, it's time for Brendan Carr, RAMageddon, the state of X, and a dumb TV mystery.

Further reading:

Bloomberg: ⁠Netflix Viewers Are Abandoning Shows After One Season⁠

⁠Of course viewers are giving up on Netflix shows ⁠

⁠Netflix is about to host videos from BuzzFeed, Condé Nast, and other publishers⁠

⁠Netflix Bets on Short Videos to Compete With YouTube - Business Insider⁠

⁠Netflix's video podcast engagement numbers 'are low,' per insider⁠

⁠Emmy Nominations List 2026: BEEF, The Diplomat, The Beast in Me, Black Rabbit, and More - Netflix Tudum⁠

⁠If Microsoft sold off Xbox, who would even buy it?⁠

⁠Meta is reportedly working on smart glasses that would be recording all the time ⁠

⁠Meta’s glasses will turn off the camera if you tamper with the privacy light ⁠

⁠Solos debuts an even lighter version of its camera-less smart glasses ⁠

⁠Boz describes how Meta’s smart glasses facial recognition feature would work. ⁠

⁠Another verdict on camera glasses in court: nope! ⁠

⁠ABC tells the government to get out of its newsrooms⁠

⁠Meta’s new Muse Image model can pull other Instagram users into AI photos ⁠

⁠You can (and should) opt out of letting people use your Instagram posts with Meta’s AI.⁠

⁠Are you ready for what it takes to stop ghost guns?⁠

⁠Vizio accidentally made the best dumb TV on the market⁠

⁠PC shipments fell for the first time in over two years thanks to RAMageddon. ⁠

⁠A tough chart about the RAM crisis. ⁠

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

(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:01:00 Intro

00:04:00 Netflix Identity Crisis

00:08:00 Creators Versus Netflix

00:15:00 Netflix Buys YouTube Videos

00:18:00 Go90 Scale Check In

00:19:00 Netflix Should Buy Xbox

00:28:00 Smart Glasses Panopticon

00:46:00 Backlash And Offline Tech

00:49:00 Smart Glasses Without Cameras

00:55:00 FCC Chilling Effect

01:03:00 Ramageddon Price Shock

01:07:00 Regulating Ghost Guns

01:14:00 X Product Reality Check

01:20:00 Vizio Dumb TV Mystery

01:25:00 Wrap Up And Plugs
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Quantum computing hype is everywhere. Trump says we'll have one by 2028, Microsoft by 2029. IBM is investing billions. Is it really happening? Science journalist Sophia Chen joins us to discuss her article, "What is a quantum computer good for? Absolutely nothing — yet," and break down what's real and what's hype in the quantum computing race.

Further reading

⁠Meta is reportedly working on smart glasses that would be recording all the time⁠

⁠Sonos laid off some of its veteran product and design executives⁠

⁠Cash App fraud⁠

⁠Starlink deployments on record pace⁠

⁠Play-Doh for adults is the new Lego for adults⁠

⁠Slate is hoping a little Razzmatazz will help sell its trucks⁠

⁠What is a quantum computer good for? Absolutely nothing — yet⁠

⁠A new paper argues Microsoft exaggerated its quantum claims a year ago⁠

⁠Drama over quantum computing’s future heats up⁠

⁠The race is on for quantum-safe cryptography⁠

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

We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How much smartphone is too much smartphone? Why is it so hard to switch from one phone to another, even in 2026? And is your smartwatch finally ready to replace your phone, even for a few things? These are the questions you have, and The Verge's Allison Johnson is here to answer them. If you have others, keep 'em coming! Call the Vergecast Hotline at 866-VERGE11, email ⁠vergecast@theverge.com⁠, tell us everything.

Further reading:

Google announces Pixel 11 launch event in August | The Verge

The whole Pixel line could get more expensive this year | The Verge

Meta’s glasses will turn off the camera if you tamper with the privacy light | The Verge

This jumping $800 robot camera dog filled me with joy

⁠Ditching my phone for an LTE smartwatch was a humbling experience⁠

⁠I switch phones once a week — here’s how I manage the chaos⁠

⁠Welp, I bought an iPhone again⁠

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

We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have all become desensitized. Every place is like every other place, every experience is happening at a remove and on a screen. And Ian Bogost, a Washington University professor and a writer at The Atlantic, argues that this "dematerialization" is making our life worse. Ian joins David to explain how to once again commune with the world. He tells us of the magic of paper tickets, why he's kind of obsessed with the rubber on his water bottle, and why you don't need to throw phone into the ocean — but you should probably watch more ASMR videos.

The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life

The Cult of Delayed Gratification Is a Lie

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices