The Vergecast

Happy holidays! Before we disappear into family time and catching up on our favorite shows, we have one more episode for you. And it's 90 minutes of deep nerdery about the smart home. Every year, we try to dig into one standard or spec that has impacted our lives this year, and we couldn't think of anything more potentially great and occasionally infuriating than Matter. Matter is supposed to be the protocol that makes the smart home work — so, uh, how's that going? The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins to discuss the state of the smart home, before we play a game to see how well we understand things. Then, Home Assistant creator Paulus Schoutsen tells us what it's like to try and make Matter work, and where we might be headed next year. Further reading: * Matter: everything you need to know about the new smart home protocol [https://www.theverge.com/22832127/matter-smart-home-products-thread-wifi-explainer] * Matter’s plan to save the smart home [https://www.theverge.com/22787729/matter-smart-home-standard-apple-amazon-google] * The Thread 1.4 spec is here, but it will be a while until we see any benefit [https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/4/24235097/thread-1-4-spec-launch-matter-smart-home-problems] * What is Thread and how will it help your smart home? [https://www.theverge.com/23165855/thread-smart-home-protocol-matter-apple-google-interview] * Every device that works with Matter (December 2024) [https://www.theverge.com/23568091/matter-compatible-devices-accessories-apple-amazon-google-samsung] * Home Assistant’s next era begins now [https://www.theverge.com/24135207/home-assistant-announces-open-home-foundation] * The Home Assistant Green is here to make the most powerful smart home platform more accessible [https://www.theverge.com/23875557/home-assistant-green-announcement-price-specs-ten-year-anniversary] Email us at vergecast@theverge.com [vergecast@theverge.com] or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

The Verge's Victoria Song and Kylie Robison join the show to talk about all of Google's recent AI and XR announcements, and the company's big and Gemini-powered vision for the future of computing. Then Chris Grant, the group publisher for Polygon and The Verge, explains why GTA VI and the Nintendo Switch 2 are so important to the future of gaming — plus a few predictions about how they'll turn out. Finally, The Verge's Helen Havlak answers a hotline question about how she plans her garden in Figma. Which is a real thing she really does. Further reading: * The Vergecast at CES [https://voxmediaevents.com/vergecast] – come see us on January 8th! * Google launched Gemini 2.0, its new AI model for practically everything [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/11/24318444/google-gemini-2-0-flash-ai-model] * Google’s AI enters its ‘agentic era’ [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/11/24317436/google-deepmind-project-astra-mariner-ai-agent] * I saw Google’s plan to put Android on your face [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/12/24319528/google-android-xr-samsung-project-moohan-smart-glasses] * GTA VI: all the news on Rockstar’s next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series [https://www.theverge.com/23987993/gta-6-news-trailers-rockstar-games] * Switch 2: all the news and rumors on Nintendo’s next console [https://www.theverge.com/24051677/nintendo-switch-2-pro-rumors-news] Email us at vergecast@theverge.com [vergecast@theverge.com] or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

For the second episode in our two-part 2025 preview, Nilay and David are once again joined by Wall Street Journal columnist (and friend of The Verge) Joanna Stern to talk about what will, and won't, happen in tech next year. This time, David joins us after a quick jaunt to the end of next year, and relays a bunch of things that happened in tech in 2025. But some of them are lies. Joanna and Nilay have to decide which things really will happen next year, and which won't. As always, the hosts get points for good guesses and negative points for bad ones. And once we're all in late 2025, we'll declare a winner. Email us at vergecast@theverge.com [vergecast@theverge.com] or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Nilay, David, and The Verge's Richard Lawler talk about a big week in AI news. First, they go over all the latest on Google's Gemini 2.0 launch, and try to figure out whether Project Astra and Project Mariner will ever turn into products people use. They also discuss OpenAI's release (and un-release) of Sora, the new Reddit Answers tool, and what's new in iOS 18.2. Finally, in the lightning round, there's talk of YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Sonos, and Cruise. There also is and isn't talk of quantum computing. Because that's possible now. Further reading: * Google’s AI enters its ‘agentic era’  [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/11/24317436/google-deepmind-project-astra-mariner-ai-agent] * Gemini 2.0: what’s new in Google’s new flagship AI model [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/11/24318444/google-gemini-2-0-flash-ai-model] * Google’s AI-powered smart glasses are a little closer to being real  [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/11/24318672/google-smart-glasses-ai-gemini] * Google’s new Jules AI agent will help developers fix buggy code [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/11/24318628/jules-google-ai-coding-agent-gemini-2-0-announcement] * Google is testing Gemini AI agents that help you in video games [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/11/24318530/google-gemini-2-0-understand-rules-video-games-genie] * Google built an AI tool that can do research for you [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/11/24318217/google-gemini-advanced-deep-research-launch] * Android XR_Keyword [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EoTbtKK4yvzuQ7mFYm22oFEIofSgNQhmExfwS387GFg/edit?tab=t.0] * OpenAI has finally released Sora [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/9/24317092/openai-sora-text-to-video-ai-launch] * iOS 18.2 is out now, adding ChatGPT integration and more Apple Intelligence tools [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/11/24317119/ios-18-2-apple-intelligence-chatgpt-genmoji] * ChatGPT’s side-by-side ‘Canvas’ view is now available to everyone.  [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/10/24318122/chatgpts-side-by-side-canvas-view-is-now-available-to-everyone] * Reddit’s new AI search tool helps you find Reddit answers without Google [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/9/24314445/reddit-answers-ai-powered-search-tool] * YouTube is still growing fast on TVs in the living room [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/11/24318434/youtube-living-room-tv-growth-2024] * Instagram will let creators test experimental reels on random people [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/10/24317762/instagram-trial-reels-test-feature-availability] * It sure sounds like Trump would be okay with a TikTok sale [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/9/24317094/donald-trump-tiktok-ban-sale-meet-the-press-interview] * TikTok failed to save itself with the First Amendment [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/9/24316941/tiktok-divest-ban-court-ruling-breakdown-first-amendment] * Sonos Arc Ultra review: don’t call it a comeback (yet) [https://www.theverge.com/24315195/sonos-arc-ultra-soundbar-review-dolby-atmos-more-bass] * Google reveals quantum computing chip with ‘breakthrough’ achievements [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/9/24317382/google-willow-quantum-computing-chip-breakthrough] * Amazon’s online car ‘dealership’ with Hyundai is now live [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/10/24317821/amazon-autos-hyundai-online-car-shopping] * YouTube’s AI-powered dubbing is now available to many more creators [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/10/24318309/youtube-partners-ai-auto-dubbing-translation-knowledge-information-videos] * Searching for color at Pantone’s all-brown party  [https://www.theverge.com/24316196/pantone-2025-color-of-the-year-mocha-mousse-party] * Adam Mosseri on introducing Trial Reels [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDZ15g9vs0v/] * From WSJ: iOS 18.2 Review: The AI Apple Promised Us [https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/apple-iphone-ios-18-update-review-ai-fc304bec] Email us at vergecast@theverge.com [vergecast@theverge.com] or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

A week ago, The Verge launched a subscription. And you had questions! So we have answers. The Verge’s Helen Havlak and Nilay Patel join the show to talk about how we priced the subscription, why ad-free podcasts are hard to do, Apple News, what we do during ad breaks, and much more. And if we didn’t answer your question, let us know! Call the Vergecast Hotline at 866-VERGE11, or email vergecast@theverge.com, with all your questions. Thanks to everyone who sent them in! Further reading: * Nilay's post about The Verge subscription [https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/3/24306571/verge-subscription-launch-fewer-ads-unlimited-access-full-text-rss] * Subscribe to The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/subscribe] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]