Gadgets are getting weird — and so are iPhone homescreens
Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge
In 2024, it’s always gadget season. But in these hot mid-July weeks, after splashy announcements from Samsung and Motorola and before we see what’s coming from Google and Apple, it’s officially Weird Gadget Season.
On this episode of The Vergecast, we dive into the many weird gadgets that surfaced this week: an iPod-y Apple Watch accessory, an AI-powered Canon camera, the extremely tall Essential phone that never made it to market, and more. We talk about them all, always asking the important question: is this anything?
But before we get to the weird gadgets, we go through some of the big news of the week. After the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the current state of social media content moderation has revealed itself… and it’s pretty bleak. We talk about what it means that conspiracy theories are everywhere and whether that’s going to change anytime soon.
After that, we discuss what’s in the new Apple public betas, from the iPad’s impressive but quirky Math Notes feature to the new Phone Mirroring tool that is both great and sort of ridiculous. Then it’s weird gadget time.
After all that, it’s time for the lightning round, in which we discuss Comcast’s new and somewhat underwhelming 4K streaming, Sling’s new and somewhat underwhelming 4K streaming, and Sam Altman’s $27 million house disaster.
If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, beginning with the aftermath of the Trump shooting:
Shooting conspiracies trend on X as Musk endorses Trump
The FBI said it found the Trump rally shooter’s Steam account, then took it back
The Trump rally shooter had a Discord account, company says
The Trump rally shooting is a cash cow for the dropshippers
The FBI says it has ‘gained access’ to the Trump rally shooter’s phone
And on Apple betas:
Apple’s public betas: all the news on iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and more
Apple is finally embracing Android’s chaos
RCS in iOS 18: Apple’s new messaging standard almost solves the green-button problem
Testing Math Notes and the Calculator app in iPadOS 18
Phone mirroring on the Mac: a great way to use your iPhone, but it’s still very much in beta
And in the “is this anything” gadget bonanza:
Canon’s long-awaited EOS R1 and R5 Mark II have eye-controlled autofocus
Dyson unmasks its super customizable OnTrac headphones
A long-delayed hands-on with Essential’s skinny Android phone
This case turns your Apple Watch into a tiny iPod
Google solves its Pixel 9 Pro leaks by just showing the phone early
Leaked photos reveal Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
The OnePlus Pad 2’s vibrating stylus simulates writing on paper
And in the lightning round:
Nilay Patel’s pick: Comcast will have high bitrate, low latency 4K feeds of the Olympics
Alex Cranz’s pick: Sling TV adds 4K streaming for free
David Pierce’s pick: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s $27 million mansion is a ‘lemon’ with a leaky pool, lawsuit alleges
Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge
In 2024, it’s always gadget season. But in these hot mid-July weeks, after splashy announcements from Samsung and Motorola and before we see what’s coming from Google and Apple, it’s officially Weird Gadget Season.
On this episode of The Vergecast, we dive into the many weird gadgets that surfaced this week: an iPod-y Apple Watch accessory, an AI-powered Canon camera, the extremely tall Essential phone that never made it to market, and more. We talk about them all, always asking the important question: is this anything?
But before we get to the weird gadgets, we go through some of the big news of the week. After the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the current state of social media content moderation has revealed itself… and it’s pretty bleak. We talk about what it means that conspiracy theories are everywhere and whether that’s going to change anytime soon.
After that, we discuss what’s in the new Apple public betas, from the iPad’s impressive but quirky Math Notes feature to the new Phone Mirroring tool that is both great and sort of ridiculous. Then it’s weird gadget time.
After all that, it’s time for the lightning round, in which we discuss Comcast’s new and somewhat underwhelming 4K streaming, Sling’s new and somewhat underwhelming 4K streaming, and Sam Altman’s $27 million house disaster.
If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, beginning with the aftermath of the Trump shooting:
Shooting conspiracies trend on X as Musk endorses Trump
The FBI said it found the Trump rally shooter’s Steam account, then took it back
The Trump rally shooter had a Discord account, company says
The Trump rally shooting is a cash cow for the dropshippers
The FBI says it has ‘gained access’ to the Trump rally shooter’s phone
And on Apple betas:
Apple’s public betas: all the news on iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and more
Apple is finally embracing Android’s chaos
RCS in iOS 18: Apple’s new messaging standard almost solves the green-button problem
Testing Math Notes and the Calculator app in iPadOS 18
Phone mirroring on the Mac: a great way to use your iPhone, but it’s still very much in beta
And in the “is this anything” gadget bonanza:
Canon’s long-awaited EOS R1 and R5 Mark II have eye-controlled autofocus
Dyson unmasks its super customizable OnTrac headphones
A long-delayed hands-on with Essential’s skinny Android phone
This case turns your Apple Watch into a tiny iPod
Google solves its Pixel 9 Pro leaks by just showing the phone early
Leaked photos reveal Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
The OnePlus Pad 2’s vibrating stylus simulates writing on paper
And in the lightning round:
Nilay Patel’s pick: Comcast will have high bitrate, low latency 4K feeds of the Olympics
Alex Cranz’s pick: Sling TV adds 4K streaming for free
David Pierce’s pick: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s $27 million mansion is a ‘lemon’ with a leaky pool, lawsuit alleges