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Material episodes

December 31, 2020288: Sayonara 2020
Flo and Andy share the highs and lows of their pandemic Christmas holiday. We'll then talk about the biggest Google search trends of 2020 and what it revealed about this hell year. Plus, what's in store for Google in 2021.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
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Links and Show Notes:
Google: The Year in Search 2020
YouTube Blog: 2020's top-trending videos and creators
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1 hr 22 min
December 24, 2020287: A Very Material Christmas
It's a holiday week, but Google is still doing some kerfuffling. Andy and Flo sandwich the news between two slices of holiday cheer, plus some good news about the Nexus 7—yes, that Nexus 7. And don't worry, kids: Santa is still delivering presents this year, and you can track his journey through the Google Assistant!
Happy holidays, friends. Thank you for being here.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Linode: Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $100 in free credit.
Links and Show Notes:
NYTimes: Google Denies Antitrust Claims in Early Response to U.S. Lawsuit
NYTimes: Google’s Legal Peril Grows in Face of Third Antitrust Suit
Google Blog: Redesigning Search would harm American consumers and businesses
9to5Google: Free Play audiobooks using Google auto-generated narrators
Google Blog: 6 new ways Android can help this holiday season
Google Play Store: Dictated Audio Books
9to5Google: Official LineageOS 17.1 support comes to Nexus 7, more
Google Blog: Santa's Village is back, firing on all candy canes
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1 hr 1 min
December 18, 2020286: Media Preppers
Andy tries to plant his own koala in the Christmas tree but to no avail, and the Google Home Max is officially dunzo. We'll tell you why you couldn't read your Gmail this week and how Google plans to breathe new life into expired PCs and Macs. Before we sign off, Andy regales us with a bit of operatic knowledge.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code MATERIAL to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021, and can be used only once.
Links and Show Notes:
The Verge: Google discontinues the Google Home Max
The Verge: Gmail, YouTube, Google Docs, and other Google services hit by massive outage
Google Cloud Status Dashboard
Ars Technica: Google sees major services outages two days in a row
Engadget: Google will officially support running Chrome OS on old PCs
Google Arts and Culture presents: Blob Opera
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1 hr 5 min
December 11, 2020285: A Summary
Flo is back from taking her Project Baseline COVID test, and she'll tell us all about it. Then, it's all about Dr. Timnit Gebru. We'll tell you who she is, why she was fired from Google Brain, and what's transpired in the days since. We'll also talk about why you want ethics in artificial intelligence and what Google's losing with her sudden departure. And don't worry, we'll cleanse the palate with a cute Christmas critter from Down Under.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Linode: Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get $100 in free credit.
Links and Show Notes:
Project Baseline: COVID-19 FAQ
Google Walkout: Setting the Record Straight #ISupportTimnit #BelieveBlackWomen
Google Walkout: Standing with Dr. Timnit Gebru — #ISupportTimnit #BelieveBlackWomen
Platformer: The withering email that got an ethical AI researcher fired at Google
MIT Technology Review: We read the paper that forced Timnit Gebru out of Google. Here’s what it says.
Twitter: Dr. Gebru
Axios: Google CEO pledges to investigate exit of top AI ethicist
Twitter: Dr. Gebru's response
Facebook: 1300Koalaz - 🎼Tis the season to be jolly...
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1 hr 11 min
December 04, 2020284: Every Day is Labor Day
Flo is out sick, but Andy is still on it. The week's top stories include Andy's Black Friday finds and the span of Google's major labor troubles. Everything from why the National Labor Relations Board is going after Google to why it might have fired well-known AI ethicist Timnit Gebru. Andy also loses his mind over a DeepMind AI breakthrough, then cleanses your palate by asking Google for some holiday cheer.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code MATERIAL to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021, and can be used only once.
Linode: Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $100 in free credit.
Links and Show Notes:
The Verge: Google illegally spied on workers before firing them, US labor board alleges
Wired: A Prominent AI Ethics Researcher Says Google Fired Her
Ars Technica: DeepMind AI handles protein folding, which humbled previous software
YouTube Music: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
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1 hr 10 min
November 28, 2020283: Commitment Problems
Andy and Flo are here for your holiday weekend to tell you what's on sale and what's worth buying now that warehouses everywhere are clearing out stock. We also discuss Google separating emojis from the system update cycle and why The Go-Gos are worth a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $25 credit.
Linode: Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get $100 in free credit.
Links and Show Notes:
XDA Developers: Google prepares to decouple new emojis from Android system updates
Spin: Dear Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame: Induct the Go-Go’s Already!
Rolling Stone: The Go-Go's Documentary Gets DVD and Blu-Ray Release Date
YouTube: The Go-Go's - Club Zero (Official Video)
Google Search honors Alex Trebek with Jeopardy easter egg
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1 hr 13 min
November 20, 2020282: Vamping and Revamping
Google has lots of little updates for us this week from Google Pay, Google Fit, Google Chrome, and even Google cast, with the company confirming Nest Audio and Chromecast with Google TV integration is on the horizon. Admittedly, we're also a little bummed that YouTube won't be releasing a "YouTube Rewind" video for 2020.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code MATERIAL to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021, and can be used only once.
Linode: Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get $100 in free credit.
Hotjar: Website Heatmaps & Behavior Analytics Tools. Get 3 months free.
Links and Show Notes:
The Verge: Google Pay’s massive relaunch makes it an all-encompassing money app
Google: New tools for a healthier, more active life
The Verge: Google's latest Chrome update delivers 'largest performance gain in years'
Google: A faster Chrome, for everything you need to get done

Variety: YouTube Nixes Annual Rewind Video for 2020 Because ‘It Doesn’t Feel Right’ This Year
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1 hr 16 min
November 13, 2020281: And The Shoe Keeps Dropping
Andy experiences an earthquake, and Google tells him all about it. We discuss what President-Elect Biden's Administration could look like for Big Tech and why we're mourning the loss of unlimited photo backup to Google Photos. We congratulate Eric Schmidt for winning citizenship in a country once known for being a picturesque tax haven.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
Linode: Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get $100 in free credit.
Hotjar: Website Heatmaps & Behavior Analytics Tools. Get 3 months free.
Links and Show Notes:
MIT Technology Review: What Biden means for Big Tech—and Google in particular
Ars Technica: Why Biden tapped several Big Tech staffers for his transition team
Android Police: Google Photos wants you to donate your time to further train its algorithms
9to5Google: Nest Audio could be used as 'home theater sound system'
Vox: Exclusive: The former CEO of Google has applied to become a citizen of Cyprus
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1 hr 7 min
November 06, 2020280: The Next American President
Andy and Flo keep it quick this week because we know you've got some nail-biting to get back to. We discuss YouTube's failure at stifling U.S. election misinformation, plus what "Internet Imperialists" do with their time off. We also discuss the pros and cons of using a Google VPN, the latest manufacturing drama with the Pixel 5, and why folks are still kvetching en masse about the new Google app icons.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code MATERIAL to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021, and can be used only once.
Linode: Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get $100 in free credit.
Hotjar: Website Heatmaps & Behavior Analytics Tools. Get 3 months free.
Links and Show Notes:
The Verge: YouTube says video claiming Trump won does not violate its election misinformation policies
Insider: YouTube channels made money off of fake election results live streams with thousands of viewers
Reddit: Squirrel to Human Ratio by State
How One Hacker Artist Tricked Google Into Showcasing Her Art When You Search This Election-Related Term
the-next-american-president
Google VPN
VPN by Google One, explained
Google says Pixel 5 screen gap is 'normal part of the design'
Medium: Why Google’s new logos suck and how I fixed it.
Restore Old Icons
Google Doodle: Halloween 2020
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1 hr 10 min
October 30, 2020279: Insults and Absurdities
Happy Halloween! This week's tantalizingly scary podcast is made even more so by an intense and thorough breakdown of the latest in congressional whining. We point out the atrocities and absurdities, plus the casual racism flung toward Sundar Pichai. We also discuss Stadia's Very Bad, No Good Social Media Day, and we pay homage to the Google apps and services that have gone to the other side.
This episode of Material is sponsored by:
Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $25 credit.
Linode: Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get $100 in free credit.
Links and Show Notes:
Play Store: Button Remapper
NYT: At Hearing, Republicans Accuse Zuckerberg and Dorsey of Censorship
EFF: Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act
Buzzfeed: At Section 230 Hearing, Senators Can't Pronounce Google's Sundar Pichai's Name
WaPo: Google follows Facebook in banning political ads after election
Kotaku: Google Backs Slowly Away From Stadia Guy's Very Bad Tweet
Killed by Google
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1 hr 31 min

About Material

From the publisher's feed

Material is a weekly discussion about the Google and Android universe. Your intrepid hosts try to answer the question, “What holds up the digital world?” The answer, so far, is that it’s Google all…