TA'cast

Dieter and Nilay talk to Julia Alexander about Quibi shutting down, Adi about the US government filing antitrust charges against Google, and Josh Dzieza about his report on Wisconsin's empty Foxconn factory.

Stories from this week:

• The ambitious effort to piece together America’s fragmented health data 
• Microsoft wants to cut down pollution from its business travel  
• Is Quibi done for?
• Quibi is shutting down
• 11 reasons why Quibi crashed and burned in less than a year
• Quibi’s top executives are ready to blame themselves, not just the pandemic, for Quibi failing
• Watch AOC play Among Us live on Twitch with HasanAbi and Pokimane
• The US government has filed antitrust charges against Google
• Who is Google’s market power hurting?
• Senate committee approves subpoenas for Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey
• How to retweet using Twitter’s new temporary format
• Republican lawmakers are furious after Twitter asks users to read stories before retweeting
• Facebook’s independent oversight board is now accepting cases
• The 8th Wonder of the World
• Exclusive: Wisconsin report confirms Foxconn’s so-called LCD factory isn’t real
• Apple iPad Air (2020) review: take it from the Pro
• Amazon Echo (2020) review: the music of the sphere
• Beats Flex review: wireless earbud basics are done right

Every Tuesday this month, Ta'cast co-host Dieter hosts a series of discussions diving deep into the tech review season, each focusing on a specific product.

This week, Dieter talks with managing editor of Android Central Daniel Bader and Android Police editor-in-chief David Ruddock about Google’s Pixel 5.

Nilay, Dieter, and Dan discuss all the announcements from Apple's iPhone event this week — from iPhone 12 to the HomePod mini

Stories from this week:

• Apple’s iPhone 12 event: the 7 biggest announcements
• Apple announces iPhone 12 with OLED screen and 5G speeds
• iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max announced with larger displays, updated design, and 5G
• Apple announces iPhone 12 mini, the ‘smallest and lightest 5G phone in the world’
• Apple’s new iPhone 12 line-up comes with a ceramic-hardened display
• Apple’s new iPhones won’t ship with earbuds or wall chargers
• Apple cuts EarPods and iPhone charger prices by $10 after it stops bundling them
• Apple’s iPhone 12 can wirelessly charge twice as fast, but only with a MagSafe charger
• Apple’s revived MagSafe charging standard opens the door for a portless iPhone
• The iPhone 12 Pro Max could be Apple’s biggest camera jump in years
• Breaking down Apple’s three new iPhone 12 camera systems
• Here’s how you’ll know when you’re on Verizon’s fast or slow 5G on an iPhone 12
• The iPhone 12’s mysterious groove is a 5G mmWave antenna window — and it’s exclusive to the US
• Apple’s iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini cost $30 extra for anyone who’s not an AT&T or Verizon customer
• Apple announces smaller HomePod mini for $99
• Apple’s HomePod will soon support Dolby Atmos with the Apple TV 4K
• Beats announce $50 Beats Flex earbuds with USB-C and 12-hour battery life

Every Tuesday this month, TA'cast co-host Dieter hosts a series of discussions diving deep into the tech review season, each focusing on a specific product.

This week, Dieter talks with MKBHD aka Marques Brownlee about the various phones released by Samsung this year, from the S20 Ultra to the Z Fold 2 5G. The two also discuss the process of reviewing different tiers of phones and how it's changing the smartphone market.

Nilay and Dieter bring in Russell Brandom and Adi Robertson to discuss a congressional report about whether Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Google are violating antitrust law.

Dan stops by to discuss Apple's upcoming iPhone event on October 13th.

Links:

Global TV shipments hit a record high last quarter, report says
America’s internet wasn’t prepared for online school
I regularly forget that I have New York’s COVID-19 exposure notification app
Congress releases a blockbuster tech antitrust report
What Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook have at stake in the antitrust fight
Apple made ProtonMail add in-app purchases, even though it had been free for years
Oracle and Google’s Supreme Court showdown was a battle of metaphors
Apple quietly stops selling Bose, Sonos, and some Logitech gear — only Apple audio remains
The Supreme Court is taking on Google and Oracle one last time
Apple’s next iPhone will be announced on October 13th
Apple Watch SE review: pay a lot less to give up only a little
Why Apple needed the FDA to sign off on its EKG but not its blood oxygen monitor
The Apple Watch heart monitor sends too many people to the doctor
YouTube 4K has come to Apple TV, but we’re waiting on HDR, 60fps, and iPhone/iPad playback
Disney movies are now available in 4K on Apple’s iTunes store
Apple sues recycling partner for reselling more than 100,000 iPhones, iPads, and Watches it was hired to dismantle 
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE review: the right price for the right stuff
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 review: stylus tax
Google Nest Audio review: the sweet spot
Google Fi now directly sells Samsung phones and adds a new 5G map
G Suite is now Google Workspace in a bid to merge Gmail, Chat, and Docs
Gmail has a new logo that’s a lot more Google
More early Prime Day 2020 deals have kicked off on Amazon
Meet Ricky Desktop, the most viral beatmaker on TikTok
SPACs explained

This week, Dieter talks with YouTube's UrAvgConsumer about how the recently announced Google Pixel 5 shares some common ground with Google's 2013 smartphone project the Nexus 5.

Nilay, Dieter, Dan, and Chris discuss all the announcements from Google's fall hardware event from this week, as well as Sonos suing Google for infringing five more wireless audio patents.

Links:

If you’re sick this fall, you’ll probably get two virus tests
The coronavirus pandemic by the numbers
Google announces the Pixel 5 for $699
Google announces Pixel 4A 5G with a larger 6.2-inch display for $499
Verizon has an exclusive Pixel 4A 5G that’s $100 more expensive
Google says the Pixel’s Soli radar and Motion Sense will return
Can the Pixel 5 camera still compete using the same old aging sensor?
The Pixel 5 and 4A 5G play it safe
Google Chromecast (2020) review: reinvented — and now with a remote
Google announces new Chromecast with the new Google TV interface
The new Chromecast with Google TV won’t officially support Stadia at launch
Google Play Movies & TV is now Google TV but it’s not the same Google TV that runs on Android TV on the new Chromecast, it’s an app
New Chromecast works as a cheap but unsupported xCloud streamer
The Home Depot is selling a new Google Chromecast that hasn’t been announced
Sonos sues Google for infringing five more wireless audio patents
The new Roku Ultra has Dolby Vision and improved Wi-Fi performance
Roku is adding support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit later this year
Roku’s Streambar is a compact soundbar with built-in streaming smarts
Google’s new Nest Audio smart speaker is official, costs $99.99
A week with the Xbox Series X: load times, game performance, and more
Microsoft’s new $549 Surface Laptop Go aims to compete with Chromebooks
Microsoft’s updated Surface Pro X has a faster processor and a new platinum color option
Apple Watch Series 6 review: minute improvements
The Apple Watch heart monitor sends too many people to the doctor

Every Tuesday this month, TA'cast co-host Dieter hosts a series of discussions diving deep into the tech review season, each focusing on a specific product.

This week, Dieter talks with senior personal technology columnist at The Wall Street Journal and ThinkAuthority Joanna about Apple's Watch Series 6.

Dieter and Joanna also discuss the process of reviewing gadgets on video and the complications of reviewing a product that has this many variants.

Nilay, Dieter, and Dan discuss all the important announcements from Amazon's fall hardware event this week, from a security drone for your home to a new cloud gaming service.

Stories discussed this week:

• CDC removes guidance about the airborne spread of the coronavirus
• Averting a COVID-19 vaccination crisis will take careful communication
• Ring’s latest security camera is a drone that flies around inside your house
• Ring announces a new line of security cameras for cars
• Amazon will launch a new location-tracking mesh network system later this year
• Amazon’s fall hardware event: the 13 biggest announcements
• Amazon redesigns the Echo with a new spherical design and a custom machine learning processor
• Amazon’s new Echo show 10 moves to look at you 
• Amazon’s Echo Show smart displays will soon stream Netflix video
• Amazon’s AZ1 Neural Edge processor will make Alexa voice commands even faster
• Alexa’s latest upgrades help it listen to multiple people and ask clarifying questions
• Amazon unveils new Guard Plus subscription for $4.99 per month
• Amazon announces a new cloud gaming service called Luna
• Amazon’s Luna game streaming service is powered by Windows and Nvidia GPUs
• Amazon announces $29.99 Fire TV Stick Lite and upgraded Fire TV Stick
• The latest Eero mesh Wi-Fi routers support Wi-Fi 6
• iPad 2020 review
• iOS 14 and iPadOS review: iPhone revolution, iPad evolution
• iOS 14 basics: how to add widgets to your iPhone’s home screen
• Fitbit Sense review: enough bugs to raise your heart rate 

For the next four Tuesdays, TA'cast co-host Dieter hosts a series of discussions diving deep into the tech review season, each focusing on a specific product.

This week, Dieter and ThinkAuthority editor Dan Saif talks with Engadget's Cherlynn Low about Microsoft's Surface Duo.

The trio discusses how the process of reviewing this device differs from others in the past, where it stands in the phone and tablet market, and other notable points from Dieter and Cherlynn's time with the Duo that didn't make it into the review.