The Engadget Podcast

We’re back from the July 4th break and we’re ready to dive into some seriously nerdy news. This week, Devindra and Cherlynn chat about Intel’s Thunderbolt 4 standard, and what it means for your next PC. We also dive into Qualcomm’s latest announcements, including the gaming-focused Snapdragon 865 Plus. And finally, we explore why Facebook just can’t seem to do much right these days, especially when it comes to appeasing civil rights groups. Thunderbolt 4 – 5:09 Qualcomm Announces 865 Plus – 14:00 Facebook Disappoints Ad Boycotters – 28:33 Working On – 38:12 Picks – 45:06

The biggest news event of the week was Apple’s virtual WWDC keynote, during which the company showed off a ton of upcoming features to its various software products. In Devindra’s absence, Cherlynn is joined by Dan Cooper as guest co-host, as well as senior mobile editor Chris Velazco to rip into Apple’s latest updates. From iOS 14 vs Android, to watchOS 7, to macOS and Apple’s transition to ARM chips, there’s plenty to discuss. Then, our hosts are joined by CNBC’s health and health-tech reporter Chrissy Farr to talk about the latest developments in healthcare and telemedicine. Do wearable companies have the right idea when it comes to developing products for COVID-19? What is Apple’s approach to this burgeoning industry? This Was Maybe the Biggest WWDC in Years? – 1:41 Siri, Maps, and App Clips – 13:38 iPadOS Gets an Update – 24:03 New Horizons in Telehealth with CNBC’s Chrissy Farr – 42:17 Can Wearables Help Predict COVID-19 (Don’t Bet on It) – 45:44

Sony unveiled the PlayStation 5 last week, sharing with the world the console’s design, specs, games and accessories. One question remains in everyone’s mind: How much will it cost? Devindra and Cherlynn are joined by deputy managing editor Nathan Ingraham to discuss this device’s eye-catching appearance, size and speculate how much it will cost. Nate also tells us why The Last Of Us II is a heartbreaking game worth the emotional investment. Then, our hosts take a look at the latest developments in major tech companies’ facial recognition systems, as well as Twitter’s new voice message format. We finally know what the PS5 looks like! – 1:10 …but it’s going to be pretty expensive – 5:13 Games announced for PS5 (Spiderman, Stray) – 8:05 Nathan Ingraham reviews The Last of Us, Part II – 13:57 Nintendo announces a bunch of Pokemon games – 24:47 Big tech pauses work on facial recognition – 26:56 Other News – 33:58 Picks – 40:43

It’s all about Android this week as we dive deep into Google’s just-released beta for the upcoming version of its mobile OS. Devindra and Cherlynn are joined by seasoned Android and smart home reporter Florence Ion to discuss their feelings about the preview. What are Bubbles? Is getting more controls and drawers better for organization or is it more clutter? Then, our hosts go over what they’ve been working on, explaining why they are excited for developments in the processor world. As usual, we’ve also got quite a few entertainment recommendations to share. What’s new with the Android 11 beta? – 1:59 What's iOS doing this year? – 28:52 Working On – 33:08 Picks – 43:48

What a year this past week has been. While protesters were hitting the streets to combat police violence, most of us were left watching the events unfold on social media. And even without those historic demonstrations, it was a pretty momentous week for Twitter and Facebook, both of which were faced with challenging decisions on handling Donald Trump’s more explosive posts. Devindra and Cherlynn chat with Karissa Bell, Engadget’s Senior Editor focusing on social media, about how Twitter and Facebook approached the occasion very differently. What a Week in Social Media (with Senior Editor Karissa Bell) – 4:17 Personal Safety Tools (for protesting and every day) – 38:01 Working On – 44:32 Picks – 54:41

No, 5G didn’t start the coronavirus pandemic. But that’s not stopping the current wave of conspiracy theories and anti-5G protests. And despite the science saying otherwise, plenty of people are convinced that 5G is actually hurting them. To figure out why, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Omer van den Bergh, a tenured professor of Health Psychology at the University of Leuven in Belgium. He’s extensively researched idiopathic environmental intolerance, genuine physical symptoms that arise when some people encounter electromagnetic fields, chemical substances (like fragrances), and even vibroacoustic sources like wind mills. While tests prove that these factors don’t genuinely cause illnesses, the mere belief that they do is enough to cause physical reactions. Instead of just telling people it’s all in their head, he argues, Western medicine might need to take these symptoms more seriously. Additionally, Devindra and Cherlynn discuss the surprisingly confusing launch of HBO Max. It’s basically a rebrand of HBO Now, but somehow HBO managed to bungle it. (And maybe we just have too many streaming services to manage now.) Timestamps: Here’s One Reason Why the 5G Harm Myth Won’t Go Away – 1:02 Interview with Prof. Omer van den Bergh – 4:17 HBO Max is Very Confusing – 24:49 Working On – 31:00 Picks – 36:22

We’re back to a somewhat regular week of news on this episode of the Engadget Podcast. Devindra and Cherlynn tackle the good and bad of Dell’s new XPS and Alienware laptops, before diving into Zocdoc’s telehealth play and what that could mean for our healthcare infrastructure in the future. We also contemplate the utility of VR meetings and therapy sessions, as well as the appeal of a quirky pair of wireless earbuds promising to tailor audio to the shape of your ears. Dell XPS 15, 17 – 1:18 Alienware R51 – 6:36 ZocDoc transitions to telehealth – 11:37 Spatial VR Meetings – 18:08 Nuraloop Headphones – 27:14 Working On – 29:11 Picks – 32:40

It’s a Microsoft heavy week! This week, Devindra and Cherlynn are joined by Alex Cranz, Gizmodo’s Senior Consumer Tech Editor, to chat about the bevy of new Surface devices. In particular, they explore why the Surface Go 2 and Book 3 are a bit disappointing — it turns out a slight spec bump might not be enough to make them competitive. But hey, at least the Headphones 2 and Earbuds are cheaper than we expected. Surface Go – 1:56 Surface Book 3 – 16:05 Surface Buds/Surface Headphones 2 – 31:47 Listener Mail – 37:53 Working On – 42:39 Picks – 43:53

At long last, the new Pixel Buds are here. Two years after the original’s underwhelming debut, Google finally released its true wireless earbuds this week. Engadget senior news editor (and resident audio expert) Billy Steele joined Cherlynn and Devindra to explain why he called these “a revelation compared to the previous model.” The trio also analyze how Google’s earbuds compare to rivals like the AirPods, Jabra Elite 75t and Sony WF-1000XM3, and Billy highlights what we can expect from true wireless earbuds in 2020. Then, Devindra and Cherlynn discuss Amazon’s new show Upload, with snippets from a talk with creator Greg Daniels. In short, the comedy series should be a fun, engaging and welcome distraction. Upload premieres today on Prime Video. Pixel Buds: Google’s First True Wireless Headphones – 1:27 Working On [MSI GS66, ZenBook Duo coming soon] – 31:41 Upload Review: An Amazon sitcom from Greg Daniels (The Office, King of the Hill, Parks and Rec) – 33:17

What if we could track everything happening on Earth in real time? And — even better — what if all of that data was readily accessible? This week, Devindra chats with Lucas Joppa, Microsoft’s Chief Environmental Officer, about the company’s “Planetary Computer” concept, which aims to accomplish just that. Cherlynn also helps break down how other companies like Amazon, Google and Facebook are approaching their own environmental initiatives. While it’s nice to see many tech firms cleaning up their businesses, do they have a moral responsibility to go further? What Even Is a Planetary Computer? – 2:29 Interview with Microsoft Environmental Officer Lucas Joppa – 3:05 Other Tech Companies’ Sustainability Efforts – 27:05 Working On [MSI GS66, VR Exercise app Supernatural] – 38:55 Picks – 44:47