The Vergecast

The high stakes for AI Alexa

Listen Later

AI will fix everything, right? In this episode, friend of The Verge (and Waveform co-host) David Imel joins Nilay and David to talk all about Alexa Plus, and the AI-powered voice assistant Amazon thinks can do everything from turn on your lights to order your friend an Uber. The hosts also talk about the other gadgets of the week, from the wild new Sigma BF camera to the boring iPhone 16E. Finally, in the lightning round, they talk about TikTok becoming YouTube and YouTube becoming TikTok and Instagram becoming YouTube and TikTok, plus the latest in Brendan Carr being a dummy and what's coming next from Automattic, DOGE, and everything.

Further reading:

  • Amazon Alexa Plus Event 2025: live updates and product announcements
  • Amazon announces AI upgrade for Alexa
  • Amazon’s Alexa Plus’ AI upgrades cost $19.99, but it’s free with Prime 
  • Amazon is launching Alexa.com and new app for Alexa Plus 
  • Alexa engagement continues to grow.
  • Alexa Plus leaves behind Amazon’s earliest Echo devices
  • Sigma’s BF is a minimalist full-frame camera with no memory card slot
  • iPhone 16E review: Eh, it’s alright
  • Framework’s first tiny Desktop beautifully straddles the line between cute and badass
  • More than 1 billion people are now watching podcasts on YouTube every month
  • Instagram’s Reels may get its own app
  • From TechCrunch: In challenge to YouTube, TikTok revamps its desktop platform
  • Someone flooded HUD HQ TVs with an AI-generated video of Trump and Musk.
  • Bluesky banned this video
  • Elon Musk claims federal employees have 48 hours to explain recent work or resign
  • DOGE asks federal workers to justify their recent work or resign.
  • Donald Trump and Elon Musk threaten to ‘semi-fire’ workers who don’t answer email
  • Amy Gleason officially named as DOGE administrator
  • Apple responds to tariff threat with a $500 billion US investment plan
  • Trump shed some light on his meeting with Tim Cook.
  • Starlink poised to take over $2.4 billion contract to overhaul air traffic control communication
  • FCC to brief lawmakers on George Soros investigation in closed-door meeting
  • FCC Chairman Brendan Carr Probes iHeartMedia Over How it Pays Musicians
  • FCC Chair Brendan Carr taking first steps in eroding key legal protection enjoyed by Big Tech
  • Automattic combines its Beeper and Texts.com messaging services


    • Email us at [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store
    The VergecastBy The Verge
    • 4.4
    • 4.4
    • 4.4
    • 4.4
    • 4.4

    4.4

    3,617 ratings

    More shows like The Vergecast

    View all
    Uncanny Valley | WIRED by WIRED

    Uncanny Valley | WIRED

    399 Listeners

    The Talk Show With John Gruber by Daring Fireball / John Gruber

    The Talk Show With John Gruber

    3,115 Listeners

    Accidental Tech Podcast by Marco Arment, Casey Liss, John Siracusa

    Accidental Tech Podcast

    2,092 Listeners

    9to5Mac Happy Hour by 9to5Mac

    9to5Mac Happy Hour

    717 Listeners

    Connected by Relay FM

    Connected

    568 Listeners

    Upgrade by Relay

    Upgrade

    1,192 Listeners

    Gastropod by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

    Gastropod

    3,602 Listeners

    Switched on Pop by Vulture

    Switched on Pop

    2,603 Listeners

    AppleInsider Podcast by AppleInsider

    AppleInsider Podcast

    957 Listeners

    Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

    Decoder with Nilay Patel

    3,122 Listeners

    Explain It to Me by Vox

    Explain It to Me

    7,842 Listeners

    Pivot by New York Magazine

    Pivot

    8,865 Listeners

    Channels with Peter Kafka by Vox Media Podcast Network

    Channels with Peter Kafka

    544 Listeners

    The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

    The Gray Area with Sean Illing

    10,641 Listeners

    The Engadget Podcast by Engadget

    The Engadget Podcast

    137 Listeners

    Good One: A Podcast About Jokes by Vulture

    Good One: A Podcast About Jokes

    1,441 Listeners

    AppStories by Federico Viticci, John Voorhees

    AppStories

    507 Listeners

    The Cut by Vox Media Podcast Network

    The Cut

    1,584 Listeners

    Future Perfect by Vox

    Future Perfect

    585 Listeners

    Land of the Giants by Vulture

    Land of the Giants

    2,144 Listeners

    Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast by Vox Media Podcast Network

    Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

    5,901 Listeners

    Unlocking Us with Brené Brown by Vox Media Podcast Network

    Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

    23,615 Listeners

    The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway by Vox Media Podcast Network

    The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

    5,205 Listeners

    A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe by Vox Media Podcast Network

    A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe

    610 Listeners

    Hard Fork by The New York Times

    Hard Fork

    5,351 Listeners

    Celebrity Memoir Book Club by celebritymemoirbookclub@gmail.com

    Celebrity Memoir Book Club

    6,263 Listeners

    Genius Bar by Audioboom

    Genius Bar

    1,045 Listeners

    Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast by Vox Media Podcast Network

    Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

    5,901 Listeners

    The MacRumors Show by The MacRumors Show

    The MacRumors Show

    222 Listeners

    Not Just Football with Cam Heyward by Cam Heyward

    Not Just Football with Cam Heyward

    139 Listeners

    Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF by Vivian Tu

    Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF

    1,702 Listeners

    Served with Andy Roddick by Served with Andy Roddick

    Served with Andy Roddick

    864 Listeners

    Prof G Markets by Vox Media Podcast Network

    Prof G Markets

    871 Listeners