The Engadget Podcast

After Cherlynn’s review of the Snapdragon-powered Lenovo Flex 5G laptop was published this week, our hosts decided to take a deeper look at Windows on ARM. Between buggy performance and confusion over app compatibility, there’s a lot to unpack. Then, Devindra and Cherlynn look at Apple Silicon and the challenges that might be in the company’s way as it makes its two-year transition to ARM. Will an ARM-based Macbook be powerful enough for the most demanding users? Then, as usual, we share what we’ve been working on and relaxing with, and offer entertainment recommendations you should check out.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.