Version History: Aibo

Version History is back for a new season! If you like the show, ⁠⁠⁠⁠follow the Version History audio podcast feed⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get every new episode. In the early 1990s, Sony was at the top of the electronics world. Whether it was a play station, a TV or a Walkman, its products were everywhere. But Sony had one more bet up its sleeve, one it thought could put it over the top: a robot dog. Join The Verge’s David Pierce, Vee Song, and Jen Tuohy as they trace Aibo’s inception, how it became a global phenomenon, and its lasting influence on today’s home robots. Version History is also on video! Check us out on YouTube. ⁠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

Jensen Huang is no longer the CEO of Nvidia, but his problems — and the company's — are far from over. David and Nilay talk through what all this attention might do to Megaspeed, to Nvidia, and to the US / China AI race. Then they discuss a bunch of streaming news, as Hollywood tries desperately to compete with TikTok and Instagram. Finally, it's time for Brendan Carr is a Dummy, some meat smoking news, and the latest in how we measure things online. Follow all of The Verge's Jensen Huang coverage here: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned. What happens next? Other reading: Streaming is still trying to be TikTok Paramount Skydance says it will offer HBO Max and Paramount Plus as a bundle starting in “early 2027.” Disney’s top priorities for its streaming service reportedly include vertical video and free always-on channels. Tubi is going to let you make “mixtapes” to recommend shows and films. Meta’s Muse AI can create custom ‘spaces’ for the version of the app you need right now Meta’s Muse can now deal with a forwarded email. Good riddance, Cybertruck! Billboard charts will include YouTube’s streaming data again starting next year. Reddit wants to guide your next purchase 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. 00:27 Recording Disclaimer 01:06 Vergecast Kickoff 02:19 Jensen Huang Scandal Timeline 09:23 Corruption And National Security 12:00 Megaspeed Chip Smuggling 20:31 Nvidia CEO Succession 28:35 Who Becomes the Face of AI Now? 35:06 Altman Comparison And Fallout 40:53 Streaming Wars Roundup 41:36 Vertical Video Feed Craze 42:12 Clips Versus Subscriptions 42:45 Tires TikTok Jump Scare 46:08 Disney Verts Feed Problem 49:02 YouTube Shorts Discovery 52:36 Micro Dramas Quibi Redux 55:58 Free Tier Hook Strategy 58:28 Hollywood Monetization Collapse 01:01:13 Discovery Tools Arms Race 01:03:30 Ellison Speedrun Theory 01:05:48 Hype Desk Zelda Remake 01:09:17 Ocarina Mods And Hacks 01:12:14 DC Films Leadership Shakeup 01:17:41 Brendan Carr is a Dummy and Spinoff? 01:20:43 Cruz Free Speech Pledge 01:22:18 Markey Presses New Carr Lackey 01:24:24 Lujan Demands Dissent 01:26:28 FCC Lackeys Forecast 01:28:44 Billboard Adds YouTube 01:30:59 Measurement Changes Reality 01:33:22 YouTube Upends Music 01:39:07 Muse Smokes Meats 01:42:03 Vibe Coding Vs Hardware 01:48:03 Reddit Reviews Backlash 01:52:51 The End of the Cybertruck  01:56:59 Wrap Up And Version History Season 6 Trailer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jensen Huang is out at Nvidia, so today's episode starts with an emergency podcast within a podcast, as David and Nilay try to make sense of the state of Nvidia and AI. Then, Jen Tuohy comes on the show to tell us all about her time with the Apple HomeView, Apple's new smart home controller and family computer. It's very good at one of those things, and not so much on the other. Further reading: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigns amid spy, affair scandals Read Nvidia’s internal emails about the ‘extraordinarily difficult period’ ahead Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned. What happens next? Apple’s HomeView is my new favorite smart display — but not my daughter’s 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 are once again back to taking your questions on The Vergecast Hotline! (Call 866-VERGE11, or email [email protected].) This time, David has some thoughts on Apple's new product launch strategy, the impossible task of building a modular operating system, and more. Also: a theory on the word "theory." 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 CEO Jensen Huang admitted to having a relationship with a woman named Alice Huang (no relation). Was she a business partner, or was she a spy sent by the Chinese government to steal secrets from the most powerful person in AI? The Verge’s Liz Lopatto explains everything we know about the scandal, what a spy might want from Nvidia, and what could happen next for both Huangs. Further reading: ⁠The future of AI hinges on… Jensen Huang’s sex life?⁠ ⁠What could China get from Jensen Huang?⁠ ⁠Here’s what Trump said he knew about Jensen Huang⁠ 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

All around the internet, groups of media fans are hunting for and curating some of the best movie, music, and TV collections anywhere. And they're doing it all via BitTorrent. Verge contributor and Lowpass writer Janko Roettgers takes us into the world of private torrent trackers, where some people are saving culture and some people are just in it for the flicks.Torrent Underground We’re also on video! Check us out on YouTube. 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 Torrents Return01:20 Private Trackers Explained04:04 Rules Ratios And Leechers05:56 The Prestige Ladder10:00 Bounties And Salinger12:55 Piracy Ethics Today17:16 Streaming Backlash19:45 What Private Really Means22:12 Anti Piracy Crackdowns25:44 Why People Do It27:14 Is BitTorrent Growing28:45 Curation Beats Algorithms31:51 Enough Phone Kickstarter33:50 Phone Prices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2026 midterm elections in the US ended in a sweeping win for Democrats — and several dozen sweeping losses for the AI industry. Nilay and David dig into what the results will mean for data centers, Big Tech, and even the future of X. Then, they try to figure out whether anyone's making any money in AI — not so much, it turns out — and whether the touchscreen MacBook is worth the price. Further reading: ⁠The fight for tech accountability starts now ⁠ ⁠Tech is about to get hammered in Congress⁠ Forbes: ⁠Elon Musk Deletes Midterm Posts After Stunning Election Losses⁠ ⁠Data centers lost the midterms ⁠ ⁠Democrats leaned into Big Tech and AI opposition this cycle. ⁠ ⁠Not even $200 million could help Elon Musk buy Texas ⁠ ⁠OpenAI says ChatGPT is catching up to Google in search ⁠ ⁠Google hasn’t figured out how to make AI pay like its search engine ⁠ ⁠Uber only fulfilled 4 rides from AI agents last quarter ⁠⁠ ⁠DoorDash's CEO: Don't be 'delusional' after just a few hundred AI agent orders⁠ ⁠Apple is reportedly lowering AI usage budgets.⁠ ⁠Brendan Carr plans to let prisons jam cellphone signals⁠ ⁠SpaceX could buy Boost Mobile as part of its big mobile carrier plans ⁠ ⁠Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display review: a touchscreen winner⁠ ⁠Sam Altman addresses RAM comments: People should ‘put as much as they want in their computers⁠ ⁠⁠Sam Altman says it’s better for RAM to be in a data center than on your desk ⁠⁠ 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 Bezos Hair Transplant Hoax 01:15 Midterms Shockwave Begins 02:00 Corruption And Data Center Backlash 06:53 AI Products Not Worth It 09:26 What Democrats Can Do Now 11:15 Congress Investigations Lawyer Up 13:15 Hype Reels Take Over Politics 15:42 X Bubble Versus Real Life 22:47 Microblogging Decline And AI Regulation 23:56 Ossoff Speech And AI Doomerism 27:35 Google Then Versus OpenAI Now 33:35 Back From Break 33:42 OpenAI Search Claims 35:19 Google Moat Erodes 38:02 Monetizing AI Overviews 42:52 Ads Break Trust 45:49 Google Zero Spiral 47:43 Agents Reality Check 50:41 Token Spending Pullback 52:50 Muse Novelty Wears Off 01:00:16 Brendan Carr is a Dummy 01:02:00 FCC Heat On Carr 01:07:04 MacBook Pro Touchscreen 01:09:09 Touchscreen Love Hate 01:10:25 Dynamic Island Reality Check 01:11:17 Best Touch Use Cases 01:11:58 App Support And Optimization 01:14:10 MacBook Pro Verdict 01:14:27 Speakers And Trade Ins 01:15:42 Sales And Upgrade Timing 01:17:11 SpaceX Boost Mobile Drama 01:22:05 Ram Altman Cloud Take 01:29:31 AI Photo Editing Panic 01:37:13 Wrap Up And Plugs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Morgann Book reads a lot of books. And, as a literary creator and podcaster, makes a lot of content about books. She joins the show to explain why BookTok loves all things romance and romantasy, why physical books are an important balance to digital life, and why she's not worried at all about the future of reading. Further reading: Bookish Media 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

Film director and camera nerd Rian Johnson sits down with Vergecast guest host and camera nerd David Imel for an unapologetically nerdy conversation about cameras. They chat about cinematography, Rian's viral Chromagraph Camera app, and check out David's vast collection of quirky equipment. (As of recording, Rian is still waiting for his to be delivered.) Further reading: ⁠Rian Johnson explains why he had to build his own iPhone camera app⁠ 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 Election Day in the United States, and data centers have become a core issue in some of the country's most important midterm races. The Verge's Adi Robertson explains why people are uniting against data centers, why they've become a proxy for all kinds of other fights, and how this year's results might change the AI industry going forward. Further reading: Apple is all in on AI — its own and everyone else’s | The Verge OpenAI is quietly renaming data centers ‘compute campuses’ | The Verge GTA VI’s download will need up to 212GB of hard drive space | The Verge Midterm elections 2026: all the news The Verge's investigative series: The Center Will Not Hold The 2026 iPad Mini is a terrific tiny tablet — for a big price 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