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Is the key to turning around public opinion on AI just to make it cuter? Nilay Patel, Jake Kastrenakes and David Imel talk about the latest adorable agents that want access to all your data, then discuss whether this week's White House AI accord is worth the paper it's written on. Plus: Gadgets, gadgets, gadgets! We speculate on Apple's rumored October 13 announcement, drool over Huawei's camera for your cameraphone, and herald the return of physical buttons in the new Kindle cases. We wrap things up with the usual Brendan Carr is a Dummy and a lightning round full of Cybercabs, data centers, 'Old Reddit' and government chatbots. Vote for us in the Signal Awards! Vote Vergecast: Best Technology Podcast Vote Version History: Best History Podcast Vote Decoder: Best Business Podcast Further reading: OpenAI launches Dots, its Muse competitor OpenAI plans to bring Dots to consumers, too. Meta’s Muse AI sent a YouTuber’s address to a stranger Maybe don’t let Muse run your Facebook Marketplace account. Sam Altman says OpenAI won’t go public until its models are safe Google announces Gemini 4 and says it’s so capable that only ‘trusted cyber defenders’ can have it right now AI researchers put out videos saying superintelligence is ‘exactly as dangerous as it sounds’ Here’s how tech leaders will self-police AI safety under Trump’s deal Here’s what AI leaders are saying about Trump’s new safety plan Trump: “You’re going to see — data centers are going to be very popular.” Trump orders US government to call AI ‘Super Intelligence’ Huawei made a whole camera to attach to its latest phone Amazon is launching colorful new Kindles — and a case with physical page-turn buttons Apple’s ‘HomePad’ will reportedly launch on October 13th NBC News: FCC head says government-funded Trump ads are ‘normal’ and ‘don’t raise any red flags’ The People of Utah vs. Kevin O’Leary Tesla’s Cybercab robotaxi rollout: the biggest news and announcements The White House launched an AI chatbot for government-related questions. Reddit says it has to cut back access to ‘Old Reddit’ because of AI bots Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. 0:00 Welcome 00:52 Awards and Listener Voting 01:36 Week Ahead Preview 01:52 OpenAI Dots vs Meta Muse 06:09 Living as Tasks 19:47 Business Models and Privacy 23:41 Bot Traffic and Web Friction 27:48 Trump Superintelligence Accord 37:46 Gadget Segment Kickoff 38:26 Huawei Screw On Lens Camera 41:33 Why Phone Camera Hybrids Fail 44:09 Pricey Phone Lens Debate 45:31 Kindle Lineup Upgrades 48:49 Apple Smart Home Display Rumors 01:02:58 Brendan Carr is a Dummy 01:08:27 America Gov Chatbot 01:14:54 Old Reddit Bot Crackdown 01:19:30 Utah Data Center Blowup 01:25:17 Cybercab Ride Report 01:27:31 Wrap Up And Plugs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this hotline episode, guest host David Imel answers your questions about digital cameras, iPods, E Ink phones, and the TI-84 graphing calculator being iced out of the Version History Hall of Fame. Further reading: Amazon is launching colorful new Kindles — and a case with physical page-turn buttons NYC is now the first city in America that bans sketchy subscriptions HP’s answer to the MacBook Neo is thinner, lighter, and comes with OLED Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jolly's got new competition: OpenAI just launched its competitor to Muse and Grok Bot. It's called Dots, and the headline feature is that it's also cute, with fuzzy lil triangles and clouds and hearts that you can give access to your personal accounts to do things for you. The Verge's senior AI reporter Hayden Field joins guest host David Imel from San Francisco right after OpenAI's DevDay presentation. Further reading: OpenAI DevDay 2026: The biggest news and announcements The Vergecast has been nominated for a Signal Award! You can vote to help us win here. Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Pokémon Trading Card Game isn't just a game, it's an economy. Livestreamers provide vicarious dopamine hits to viewers who tune in to watch them open booster packs, and the rarest cards can resell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The game's 30th anniversary collection just launched, putting more copies of the game's rarest cards back into circulation. Guest host David Imel talks about the state of the Pokémon TCG market with The Verge's film, TV and pop culture reporter Charles Pulliam-Moore. Further reading: OpenAI launches Dots Nothing Headphone 1 Pro Your new Chromebook won’t get 10 years of ChromeOS support — because support now ends 2034. Pokémon card scalpers have turned collecting into an online blood sport Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a confusing time right now for gaming. Video games are becoming an increasingly expensive hobby. Games are expensive to make, too, and companies want to sell the most lucrative ones they can: Sony and Microsoft are cutting jobs to refocus on blockbusters. At the same time, we’ve got more ways to play than ever: handhelds, phones, even cloud gaming is getting better. So where are we headed? Today on The Vergecast, Sean Hollister asks that question of Shuhei Yoshida, who spent 31 years at Sony playing games and figuring out what gamers will pay for. Further reading: The smart home graveyard is getting crowded There may be a way to save your June Oven after all Nvidia says its new AI safety platform can contain rogue agents within ‘milliseconds’ Bose’s first wired earbuds in 11 years add noise canceling Xbox is barely Xbox anymore AI was everywhere at gaming’s big developer conference — except the games Half of developers think gen AI is bad for the gaming industry In 2025, AI became a lightning rod for gamers and developers The golden age of handheld gaming is already over The Steam Machine is the most ambitious game console I’ve ever played The PS6 sure sounds like a handheld The Steam Deck makes PlayStation’s biggest games portable PlayStation exclusives aren’t coming to PC anymore I regret buying the PSVR 2 Xbox exploring ‘radically different’ console business models How Sony bought, and squandered, the future of gaming Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meta's Muse AI agent is cute (sometimes caked-up) and it performs well as a productivity tool. And, if you give it access to your social media and e-mail, it can know basically everything about you. This week on The Vergecast, Nilay Patel, Jake Kastrenakes and David Imel give their reactions to Mark Zuckerberg's demos at Wednesday's Meta Connect keynote. They also talk about the new glasses hardware, including the new VR glasses and audio-only, camera-free Ray-Bans.Then, we take a look at the newly-announced, chimeric Chrome/Android hybrid Googlebooks, find out why Brendan Carr is a dummy this week, analyze the Paramount merger, discuss what YouTube's A/B video testing means for the increasingly tenuous concept of a shared reality, and end on a surprisingly heartwarming story about RODECaster 4K support. Further reading: Meta Connect 2026: The 7 biggest announcements Meta Connect 2026 live blog: On the ground at Mark Zuckerberg’s next big product launch Meta’s Muse AI works and creeps me out Amazon blocks Meta’s Muse AI agent Meta ditches the camera on its newest smart glasses Meta’s next VR device isn’t a headset — it’s glasses These are the first five Googlebook laptops Googlebooks feel like the first laptops built for Android owners I got to see Google’s wild ideas about the future of laptops The long dream of the Googlebook Mahershala Ali On ‘Blade’ Being A Big Failure For Kevin Feige: “100%. He Should Feel That Way” Paramount will need to release way more movies to make this merger work Xbox is barely Xbox anymore YouTube is cooking up new Live features. Free Rodecaster Video firmware update adds 4K support. Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. 0:00 Welcome Back Banter 00:31 Meta Connect Setup 01:27 Muse First Impressions 05:28 Privacy Trust Gap 07:58 Pervert Glasses Debate 12:55 Passive Surveillance Reality 15:42 Is Muse Actually Winning 18:44 Muse Charm Post Phone 21:38 Do We Need Agents 26:12 Break And Return 26:29 New Meta Hardware 27:00 Audio Only Ray Bans 28:30 Muse Powered Glasses 31:15 Meta Bets on Muse 32:28 Hearing Aid Glasses Pitch 34:40 VR Glasses Return 39:04 Holograms and Splats 42:44 Google Books Arrive 44:57 Android Laptop Lock In 47:49 Windows Fatigue Debate 54:54 Hype Desk Blade Drama 57:14 Remembering Blade Chaos 01:00:37 Blade Reboot Frustrations 01:01:26 Sonos Sponsor Break 01:03:07 Brendan Carr is a Dummy 01:07:38 Lightning Round Kickoff 01:08:02 Meta Muse Mascot Chaos 01:09:26 Paramount Warner Deal Fallout 01:12:37 YouTube AI Channel Agents 01:14:05 A B Video Testing Ethics 01:21:25 Xbox Layoffs And Halo Shift 01:24:45 Rodecaster Free 4K Update 01:26:36 Muse Marketplace Haggling 01:27:35 Wrap Up And Next Episodes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meta and Snap both want to get on your face. The Verge's Victoria Song and Jay Peters tried out all the new hardware: Specs, audio-only Ray Bans, and Meta VR. Today, they join guest host David Imel to talk about how these new smart glasses feel, both physically and emotionally. Further reading: Meta’s next VR device isn’t a headset — it’s glasses Meta ditches the camera on its newest smart glasses I wore Snap’s $2,200 smart glasses Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transportation editor Andrew Hawkins is here to answer your questions about the confluence of cars and gadgets. Could a folding phone replace a dashboard display? What to do about the iPhone Pro Max not fitting the Tesla's built-in wireless charger? And we hear from a listener who -- shockingly -- doesn't care about CarPlay. Further reading: The car of the future is an EV golf cart Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nvidia's new DLSS 5 (Deep Learning Super Sampling 5) rendering technology uses AI to (theoretically) improve video game graphics. When it was announced, social media declared that it was "yassifying" video game characters, changing faces in a way game developers didn't intend. Linus Tech Tips' own Linus Sebastian and David Gauthier join guest host David Imel to break down the the hype and controversy. Further reading: The Beats 360 are what I’d bring to the gym if I hated earbuds Peloton is back with a ‘cheaper’ folding treadmill Whoop and Peloton integration is finally here Xbox is barely Xbox anymore Apple’s first live music venue is opening beneath its UK headquarters Nvidia’s DLSS 5, explained DLSS 5: Has Nvidia’s AI graphics technology gone too far? DLSS 5 looks like a real-time generative AI filter for video games Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We tried out the new Googlebooks, which are essentially Chromebooks evolved with an Android elemental stone. They're made by Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer, and Asus (not Google), but all have the new Googlebook OS, heavy Android phone and Gemini integration, and a built-in "Glowbar." Laptop reviewer Antonio G. Di Benedetto went hands-on with the new devices, and reports back to guest host David Imel. Further reading: ⁠iPhone owners can now submit claims in Apple’s $250 million Siri AI settlement⁠ ⁠The M5 Ultra Mac Studio tears through our benchmark tests⁠ ⁠Gemini went rogue and hacked 3 companies⁠ ⁠I got to see Google’s wild ideas about the future of laptops⁠ ⁠These are the first five Googlebook laptops⁠ ⁠Googlebooks feel like the first laptops built for Android owners⁠ ⁠The long dream of the Googlebook⁠ Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's iPhone 18 Pro discourse made aperture a priority, but today on Vergecast we zoom out to talk about the state of smart phone photography at large. Executive editor Jake Kastrenakes, guest host David Imel and senior reviewer Allison Johnson get into manual controls, "buckets of photons," and Apple and Google's strategies on how to prove a picture you took is real. Then, senior AI reporter Hayden Field returns to The Vergecast, just a few new revelations of misaligned behavior since her last appearance. She breaks down who's calling for a slowdown, who's full steam ahead, and the prisoner's dilemma facing the industry. And in the lightning round, we cover robotaxis calling the cops, the Boox Palma 3 e-reader, and the latest crop of intentionally low-quality digital cameras. Further reading: Version History: Oregon trail iPhone 18 Pro review: it's all about the manual controls The variable aperture isn’t the cool part of the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera Apple’s new iPhone camera mode promises to prove your photo isn’t AI Inside the suddenly explosive world of AI safety Your robotaxi might be a narc Waymo pulls over, calls cops on riders with a ghost gun The Boox Palma 3 gets stylus support and a sleek redesign Camp Snap’s 110D gives slim retro film cameras a digital upgrade Fujifilm’s Instax Pal 2 is a tiny digital camera that may not disappoint Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. 0:00 Welcome and lineup00:30 Version History returns02:08 Oregon Trail livestream plug02:36 Apple camera geekout02:59 Apple's new CEO Emmy moment05:23 iPhone 18 Pro upgrades08:33 Pro controls usability11:46 RAW vs ProRAW explained14:35 Signal to noise deep dive21:35 Photographic styles debate25:25 Reference Image authenticity32:40 What we want next41:40 AI safety drama begins42:36 AI Safety Freakout46:10 Liability And Regulation51:34 China Race Narrative54:43 Pace The Frontier Plan55:54 Auditors Inside Labs01:00:22 Prisoners Dilemma Problem01:04:38 Accountability Dead End01:08:45 Waymo Calls The Cops01:14:56 The E Reader Race01:19:56 Tiny Retro Cameras01:26:32 Wrap Up And Goodbye Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Senior reviewers Allison Johnson and Victoria Song trade host and guest duties in a Vergecasting ouroboros that's never been attempted before and will probably never be attempted again. Allison talks about the iPhone 18 Pro's new camera, Victoria talks about the Watch 12 and Ultra 4's new sensors, and they both give their verdicts on who should upgrade. Further reading: The iPhone 18 Pro’s big camera update is all about the small gains The Apple Watch Series 12 is the start of a new wearable era Your ‘health age’ is fake Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last week, an Anthropic researcher resigned and posted on X, "The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade." These warnings are nothing new, but this one managed to break into the mainstream. So, do the people making AI really think it could kill us all? How? And if it really could be as dangerous as they say, why would anyone continue to work on it? Senior AI reporter Hayden Field joined us to answer your questions about the AI freakout. Further reading: The iPhone 18 Pro’s big camera update is all about the small gains Meta is reportedly ready to launch less pervy smart glasses The Boox Palma 3 gets stylus support and a sleek redesign Worried Anthropic researchers warn that AI ‘could kill all humans’ What execs and politicians are saying about slowing down AI development Is Big Tech’s AI slowdown a safety pact or a cartel? Trump and Mike Johnson think the AI industry is overreacting Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two years ago, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt released his book, The Anxious Generation. In it, he argued that the rise of social media and smartphone use is to blame for the prominent decline in teen mental health since 2010. This month, psychology researcher Peter Gray takes on that narrative with his book, Restoring Childhood. In a conversation with senior policy reporter Lauren Feiner, Gray argues that school — not social media — is the real culprit. Further reading: The premium AirPods 5 are the best open-ear earbuds Apple has made All dressed up with hardware to go. A street photographer tested Dyson’s new CameraJet toothbrush. What if social media isn’t hurting kids? Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean Hollister got his hands and face on Valve's new VR headset, the Steam Frame. It's expensive, starting at more than $1,000. It's buggy — he and CNET's Scott Stein both felt like beta testers as they reviewed it. But it's also full of interesting ideas, including the promise that Steam games could one day come to your mobile phone. This week on The Vergecast, Sean and Scott discuss who exactly this device is for, in a world that mostly seems to have moved on from VR. Further reading: Is it time for AI companies to press pause? Waymo pulls over, calls cops on riders with a ghost gun Your car is selling your data LG responds to TV spying allegations The Steam Frame is made for irresponsible hardware nerds like me Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices