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Tag: gadget lab podcast

  • How Should We Feel About Ring?

    How Should We Feel About Ring?

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    Ring cameras have come a long way. Since the security camera brand launched 11 years ago, its video doorbells and cams have become vigilant, constant surveyors of patios, porches, and vestibules everywhere. Amazon now owns the company, and has ushered it through controversies over privacy concerns, security breaches, incidents of vigilantism, and the company’s cozy relationship with law enforcement. The drama has not slowed growth; over 10 million Rings have been installed, and the cameras currently blanket our urban and suburban landscape, filming the movements of you, your family, and any strangers who wander near your door.

    That makes for a lot of video to sift through if you’re trying to find something important, like whether or not a delivery was made, or what time your kids left for soccer practice. That abundance of footage is why Ring cameras, along with many other consumer products right now, are getting some AI-powered capabilities. Ring’s software update helps users search for specific moments their cameras may have captured.

    This week, WIRED senior writer Paresh Dave joins the show again to talk about the evolution of Ring—how the security cameras have become nearly ubiquitous security tech, and what the future holds now that they’re being infused with AI.

    Show Notes

    Read Paresh’s story about Ring’s AI updates. Read WIRED’s guides to the best indoor and outdoor security cameras. Read more about all the data Ring collects from its users and why we recently stopped recommending Ring cameras for a couple of years.

    Recommendations

    Paresh recommends getting a Sling TV subscription from Dish to watch live sports. Mike recommends searching for decoy security cameras you can install if your landlord requires you to put up a security camera. Lauren recommends the streaming shows Nobody Wants This and Killing Eve. Both are on Netflix.

    Paresh Dave can be found on social media @peard33. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight@heads.social. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

    How to Listen

    You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how:

    If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and search for Gadget Lab. If you use Android, you can find us in the Google Podcasts app just by tapping here. We’re on Spotify too. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.

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    Lauren Goode, Michael Calore

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  • How Useful Will Apple Intelligence Be? The Next iPhone Will Tell Us

    How Useful Will Apple Intelligence Be? The Next iPhone Will Tell Us

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    On Monday, Apple held one of its splashy media events. This one was used to show off its next round of iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches. These are three of its biggest products, and all of the design tweaks feel very familiar to the current Apple universe. But Apple has also trotted out some new tricks, like sleep apnea detection in the Apple Watch and a new feature that instantly turns a pair of AirPods Pro into hearing aids. And of course, the company is also very keen to get consumers hyped up about the iPhone’s new Apple Intelligence features—even if those flashy AI tricks won’t start becoming available until next month.

    This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED product reviews editors Adrienne So and Julian Chokkattu join us after Apple’s “Glowtime” event to go over all the big news from Cupertino.

    Show Notes

    Our roundup of everything Apple announced this week. Read Julian’s WIRED stories about how the iPhone 16 is incorporating AI and which iPhone 16 model is right for you. Dive into Lauren’s story about whether Apple’s AI promises will actually equate to more iPhone sales. Read Chistopher Null’s story about how AirPods Pro could disrupt the hearing aid industry. Follow all WIRED’s Apple coverage.

    Recommendations

    Adrienne recommends the book Status and Culture by W. David Marx. Julian recommends the Dev Patel action movie Monkey Man. Lauren recommends that you recommend a good chair to help her back pain. Mike recommends Manning Fireworks, the new album by musician MJ Lenderman.

    Adrienne So can be found on Threads @adso_sheehan. Julian Chokkattu is @julianchokkattu. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight@heads.social. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

    How to Listen

    You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how:

    If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and search for Gadget Lab. If you use Android, you can find us in the Google Podcasts app just by tapping here. We’re on Spotify too. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.

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    Michael Calore, Lauren Goode

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  • Your Photos Aren’t Real

    Your Photos Aren’t Real

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    At a splashy media event this week at its headquarters in Mountain View, California, Google announced four new Pixel phones. But the most important stuff unveiled at the Made By Google event wasn’t the hardware itself, but rather all of the generative AI tools packed into the devices.

    Most notable are some AI-powered camera features that allow Pixel owners to easily add their own image to a group shot after they’ve taken the photo, or to alter a photo entirely by changing night to day and adding objects that were never really there. It’s an exploration of our limits—how convincingly technology can bring alternate realities to life, and how much of the computer-generated scenery we can tolerate.

    This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED senior reviews editor Julian Chokkattu joins the show to talk about Google’s fancy new photo tricks. We also talk about Gemini Live, the latest iteration of the company’s AI-powered voice chatbot. Finally, we ask the un-askable: Is Google Assistant finally dead, or just banished to Google’s attic?

    Show Notes

    Read more about all the new updates from the Made By Google event, including Google’s Pixel camera updates. Learn how the company is using AI to reshape reality. There are some potentially life-saving new features on the Pixel Watch 3. Also read Reece Rogers’ WIRED story about ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode and Jia Tolentino’s New Yorker story about tweens and Sephora.

    Recommendations

    Julian recommends folding flip phones. Lauren recommends Colorscience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50 sunscreen lotion. Mike recommends the audiobook version of All Fours by Miranda July. (You can listen to it in Spotify Premium.)

    Julian Chokkattu can be found on social media @JulianChokkattu. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

    How to Listen

    You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how:

    If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and search for Gadget Lab. If you use Android, you can find us in the Google Podcasts app just by tapping here. We’re on Spotify too. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.

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    Michael Calore, Lauren Goode

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  • Good Luck Selling Your AI Startup

    Good Luck Selling Your AI Startup

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    There is no wilder time than the present to build a company around artificial intelligence. The server bills are astronomical, for one. Also the market for talent is red hot, and you’ll end up paying through the nose for good people. Even if you do get funding, staff up, get the product off the ground, and start making headway in a crowded field, there’s the specter of Big Tech looming overhead. The hypercarnivorous raptors of Silicon Valley—Google, Apple, Amazon, and Meta—will fix their steely eyes on the plump prey of your best employees and your intellectual property.

    But they can’t just buy you. Not anymore; outright acquisitions could draw the attention of regulators in the US and Europe, where governments are ramping up their antitrust efforts. Now instead of gobbling you up, a big tech company will license your tech and bring your top talent into their offices to collaborate with their employees. This maneuver—not an acquisition, more like an acquihire with some partnerships included—is something we’ve seen a few times in recent months. And we can expect more.

    This week, we welcome WIRED senior writer Paresh Dave back onto the show to discuss the current trend of partnerships between small AI companies and the tech giants. We also talk about how regulators are really cracking down on Google in particular.

    Show Notes

    Read about the US court ruling that found Google engaged in monopolistic practices to increase its search engine’s dominance. Read more about Character AI, Meta, and customizable chatbots. Read all of WIRED’s antitrust coverage.

    Recommendations

    Paresh recommends playing games on Netflix, like Triviaverse. Mike recommends the new documentary Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa, which is also on Netflix. Lauren recommends “Inside the Secret Negotiations to Free Evan Gershkovich” from The Wall Street Journal.

    Paresh Dave can be found on social media @peard33. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

    How to Listen

    You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how:

    If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and search for Gadget Lab. We’re on Spotify too. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.

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    Lauren Goode, Michael Calore

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  • Dating Apps Are Dehumanizing. Let’s Try Something New

    Dating Apps Are Dehumanizing. Let’s Try Something New

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    If the idea of going on a date makes you anxious, and all you’d really rather do with your evening is stay home and play video games, well, have we got the app for you. Date Like Goblins, a new dating platform that debuted on Kickstarter this week and will launch later this year, invites you to go on dates that take place entirely inside your favorite video games. You play a few rounds of Fortnite or Final Fantasy with your date, while voice-chatting and getting to know each other. It’s cute!

    Date Like Goblins is one of many niche, interest-specific dating platforms. There are apps for farmers, Christians, jamband fans, rope bunnies—whatever you’re into. These smaller, more tailored communities can be seen as an antidote to fatigue that’s caused by the over-monetized and alienating experience of the big dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge.

    This week, we’re joined by WIRED staff writer Amanda Hoover to talk about Date Like Goblins and the other apps that have learned the cheat code for online romance.

    Show Notes

    Read Amanda’s story about Date Like Goblins. Read Lauren Goode on “Date Me” docs. Read Jason Parham on Boomers on the apps. Read all of our dating coverage.

    Recommendations

    Amanda recommends making butter coconut bars for your next summer potluck. Lauren recommends the recent episode of The Daily from The New York Times with Taffy Brodesser-Akner telling the story about her new book. Michael recommends Trickster: The Many Lives of Carlos Castaneda, a podcast about the wild, shadowy history of the famous author and counterculture figurehead.

    Amanda Hoover can be found on social media @byamandahoover. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

    How to Listen

    You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how:

    If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and search for Gadget Lab. If you use Android, you can find us in the Google Podcasts app just by tapping here. We’re on Spotify too. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.

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    Michael Calore, Lauren Goode

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  • Learning to Live With Google’s AI Overviews

    Learning to Live With Google’s AI Overviews

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    Google has spent the past year lustily rolling out AI features across its platforms. But with each launch, it is becoming more clear that some of these so-called enhancements should have simmered a little longer. The latest update to stoke equal parts excitement and ridicule is AI Overviews, the new auto-generated summary boxes that appear at the top of some Google search results.

    In theory, AI Overviews are meant to answer questions and neatly summarize key information about people’s search queries, offering links to the sources the summaries were pulled from and making search more immediately useful. In reality, these AI Overviews have been kinda messy. The information the summary confidently displays can be simply, and sometimes comically, wrong. Even when the AI Overview is correct, it typically only offers a slim account of the topic without the added context—or attribution—contained in the web pages it’s pulling from. The resulting criticisms have forced Google to reportedly dial back the number of search queries that trigger AI Overviews, and they are now being seen less frequently than they were at launch.

    This week, we talk with WIRED writers Kate Knibbs and Reece Rogers about the rollout, how Google has been managing it, and what it’s like to watch our journalism get gobbled up by these hungry, hungry infobots.

    Show Notes

    Read Kate’s story about Google trimming the frequency of its AI Overviews. Read Reece’s story about how Google’s AI Overviews copied his original work. Read Lauren’s story about the end of Google Search as we know it.

    Recommendations

    Kate recommends Token Supremacy by Zachary Small. Reece recommends the game Balatro. Lauren recommends the poetry book Technelegy by Sasha Stiles. Mike recommends the book Neu Klang: The Definitive History of Krautrock by Christoph Dallach.

    Kate Knibbs can be found on social media @Knibbs (X) or @extremeknibbs (Threads/IG). Reece Rogers is @reece___rogers. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

    How to Listen

    You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how:

    If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and search for Gadget Lab. If you use Android, you can find us in the Google Podcasts app just by tapping here. We’re on Spotify too. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.

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    Michael Calore, Lauren Goode

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  • Everyone’s Pumped About Heat Pumps

    Everyone’s Pumped About Heat Pumps

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    Lauren Goode: Yeah. You recommended a podcast episode with her too.

    Michael Calore: I did, yeah.

    Lauren Goode: Was it the Fresh Air one?

    Michael Calore: Yeah. To you. Yeah. Yeah, because you were like, “Who is Kathleen Hannah?” I’m like, “Oh, you got to check her out.” So yeah, I think she was on another podcast last week. Anyway, the book is brand-new. You can get it as an ebook or an audiobook. She reads it, and if you’re a Spotify Premium subscriber, I think you can listen to it as part of your subscription, so I would recommend doing that. That’s how I’m enjoying it, in her voice.

    Matt Simon: I think I saw that at Green Apple actually.

    Michael Calore: Yeah.

    Matt Simon: San Francisco local people might be able to find it there.

    Michael Calore: Yes.

    Matt Simon: You should be there. Anyway. It’s a great bookstore.

    Lauren Goode: Oh yeah. We just walked by it the other day.

    Michael Calore: Yeah, it’s the best. One of the best in the world.

    Lauren Goode: You had a great story about the book that you let go.

    Michael Calore: Oh, yeah.

    Lauren Goode: And it came back to you.

    Michael Calore: Yeah. Between the Clock and the Bed?

    Lauren Goode: That’s right.

    Michael Calore: Edvard Munch. Yeah. That’s a boring story though.

    Lauren Goode: I enjoyed it.

    Michael Calore: Glad you did.

    Lauren Goode: Yeah.

    Michael Calore: What is your recommendation?

    Lauren Goode: My recommendation, I just came up with this, because I came into the studio today without one prepared. Staycations.

    Michael Calore: Say more.

    Matt Simon: You mean as a concept or as a piece of media?

    Lauren Goode: Oh, as a concept. Is there a piece of media called Staycations?

    Matt Simon: I don’t know.

    Lauren Goode: Is that like a magazine? We should start one.

    Matt Simon: Yeah.

    Lauren Goode: I like that idea. It’s a great time in media to be starting magazines. Staycation, so I have a good friend who has been loaning me access to her home office, and it’s great because it is not far from where I live, but sometimes on weekends I go there and it’s a different perspective. It’s a different place. I’m not thinking about laundry or cleaning or to-do’s or whatever I have to order from Amazon.com or whatever it is. I’m away, but I’m not far, and I really appreciate that. It’s been really head clearing. I’m also working on a book, so it’s helpful for that. I mean, that’s the primary thing.

    But then also in the past couple months, I’ve had the opportunity to stay just north of here, like 30 minutes, and so I’m away, but I’m not away away, and it’s great. It’s just, get away for a staycation if you can. If you have the means, if you have friends who are saying, “Hey, I need someone to pet sit,” or “Do you want to take over my house for a weekend?” Or something like that. Just do it. Stay local, but just get a totally different perspective on where you live, your neighborhood, the people around you, try new restaurants, new venues, just yeah, do a staycation if you can.

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    WIRED Staff

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  • A Peek Inside Hulu’s New ‘Black Twitter’ Docuseries

    A Peek Inside Hulu’s New ‘Black Twitter’ Docuseries

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    This week, the writer, director, and executive producers of the new documentary series Black Twitter: A People’s History tell us how they brought the community’s vibrancy to the small screen.

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    Michael Calore, Lauren Goode

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  • How Social Media Turned Into a Shopping Mall

    How Social Media Turned Into a Shopping Mall

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    Michael Calore: I’m going to go watch a bunch of shorts and see what I get served and I’ll report back.

    Lauren Goode: Hims and Hers?

    Michael Calore: Yeah, Hims and Hers.

    Lauren Goode: All right, let’s take another quick break and then we’re going to come back with our recommendations.

    [Break]

    Lauren Goode: Amanda, what’s your rec?

    Amanda Hoover: So another product I first saw on TikTok Shop, while we’re on themes, all got me thinking. It’s like this cap that you pull down over your face. You keep it in the freezer. So it’s advertised as being for hangovers. It’s also great for headaches, and it just immediately cools down your head, helps with any pressure, tension, whatever. And it’s called—HungovrAF is one of the main brands of it, but I think there are a couple of others, but that was the one that I first saw.

    Lauren Goode: What a great brand name.

    Michael Calore: So do you keep it in the freezer?

    Amanda Hoover: Yeah. You got to keep it in the freezer. If you wake up hungover, it’s not going to be ready in time. You got to do some prep.

    Lauren Goode: Does it actually cover your face?

    Amanda Hoover: Yes. Covers your eyes. It’s like a soft cap.

    Lauren Goode: Wow. I could see how that would be great for migraines.

    Michael Calore: Amanda, have you considered not drinking?

    Amanda Hoover: I actually had a friend who loved this too. Always was talking about having headaches, and I’d had this cold roller thing, like a skin roller, and I let her borrow that once and she had a really bad hangover. And then I saw this and I was like, “This is going to totally change the game.”

    Lauren Goode: Don’t be a scold, Michael. She’s 30 years old living in New York City. I mean, come on.

    Amanda Hoover: Thirty is where you start to get the hangover sooner than you expected to.

    Michael Calore: Just wait, just wait. A bottle opens across the room and immediately I start to feel terrible.

    Lauren Goode: Every time Mike goes to CES, it’s like, “Oh, good luck.” You’re going for five days, six days, and he is like, the first five: bitters and soda.

    Michael Calore: That’s right. I do not drink at CES until the last night. That’s my move.

    Lauren Goode: That’s a good method.

    Michael Calore: People ask me for Las Vegas recommendations. I’m like, “Don’t drink until you’re going home.”

    Lauren Goode: Right. You could sleep on a plane home. Thank you for that, Amanda. I look forward to linking to that in the show notes because we’re going to become our own little shopping platform. Did you also know you can buy WIRED merch?

    Michael Calore: We’re going to be recommending this thing.

    Lauren Goode: We have to hype the merch.

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    Lauren Goode, Michael Calore

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  • Between Layoffs and Tougher Interviews, Tech Workers Are Stressed Out

    Between Layoffs and Tougher Interviews, Tech Workers Are Stressed Out

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    There was a time when getting a job at Google or Amazon would be a ticket to long-term stability and success. Many of the big tech companies seemed immune to large-scale layoffs, and as their profits skyrocketed, those cushy jobs became highly sought-after. But economic headwinds, and the looming influence of AI, are leading to some tumultuous changes in the tech industry.

    In just the first seven weeks of this year, Amazon, Google, Discord, Duolingo, Cisco, Instacart, and dozens of others all made deep staffing cuts. It all adds up to tens of thousands of jobs lost across the industry, and the cuts aren’t slowing down. It doesn’t help that interviewing for tech jobs is getting harder too, with employers asking for more and more work or rigorous testing before making a hire.

    This week, WIRED senior writer Paresh Dave joins us to talk about whether the layoffs will cool off, and why right now is a daunting time to be looking for a tech job.

    Show Notes

    Read Paresh’s story about how Google has been cutting down on its acquisitions lately. Read Amanda Hoover on recent tech industry layoffs, and her story about the TikTok layoff videos folks have been posting. Read Lauren’s story about how tech job interviews are getting even more demanding. And of course, follow all of WIRED’s coverage of how AI and how it affects people’s livelihoods.

    Recommendations

    Paresh recommends making an effort to connect and collaborate with your disabled colleagues. Lauren recommends the documentary The Eternal Memory. Mike recommends listening to Ty Segall’s new album Three Bells and watching his live show.

    Paresh Dave can be found on social media @peard33. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

    How to Listen

    You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how:

    If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and search for Gadget Lab. If you use Android, you can find us in the Google Podcasts app just by tapping here. We’re on Spotify too. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.

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    Michael Calore, Lauren Goode

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