It's gadget season. More specifically, it's apparently "new computer for your new AI" season. David and Nilay talk through a slew of announcements — Amazon's Alexa Tablets, Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra, the new Googlebooks, and Apple's upcoming smart home launch — to figure out if anyone has the right idea about the future of computing, and where the AI is supposed to live. After that, it's time for Brendan Carr is a Dummy, our thoughts on the Paramount / Warner / Skydance merger, and much more.

Please vote for The Verge's podcasts in the Signal listener's choice awards!
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/technology">Vote Vergecast: Best Technology Podcast</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/history">Vote Version History: Best History Podcast</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/business">Vote Decoder: Best Business Podcast</a></li>
</ul>

We’re also on video! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL39u5ZEfYDEO5PaNRWyqloGY6zzJ1fjBa">Check us out on YouTube.</a> 
<a href="https://www.theverge.com/subscribe">Subscribe to The Verge</a> for unlimited access to <a href="http://theverge.com/">theverge.com</a>, subscriber-exclusive newsletters and our <a href="https://www.theverge.com/bulletin/795051/verge-podcast-ad-free-set-up-how-to">ad-free podcast feed</a>. 
We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to <a href="mailto:vergecast@theverge.com">vergecast@theverge.com</a> or call us at 866-VERGE11.

Read more about the topics discussed in today's 1 hour, 41 minute podcast:
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1007648/amazon-alexa-tablets-price-specs">⁠Amazon’s Alexa Tablets are powerful, impressive, and designed to take on iPad&nbsp;⁠</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1007473/amazon-alexa-tablet-12-pro-nanomatte-hands-on">⁠Hands-on with Amazon’s Alexa Tablet 12 Pro and its wild new matte display&nbsp;&nbsp;⁠</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1008059/amazon-phasing-out-fire-tablet-panos-panay">⁠Amazon is phasing out Fire Tablets because they weren’t ‘giving customers what they were asking for⁠</a>’</li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1007768/amazon-kids-tablet-android-kid-proof-case-google-play">⁠Amazon’s new Kids Tablets let parents manage access to the Google Play store </a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/1008039/apple-smart-home-event-october-13th">⁠Apple announces surprise ‘Welcome home’ launch event⁠</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/1006238/apple-lg-homekit-rumor-fcc">⁠Apple and LG team up on new smart home gear, starting with a lock, doorbell, and thermostat⁠</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1006727/apple-lg-leak-smart-home-deadbolt-lock-thermostat-temperature-sensor">⁠New leaks provide our first look at Apple and LG’s smart home devices </a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1007147/microsoft-surface-laptop-ultra-windows-event-everything-announced">⁠Everything announced at Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra event&nbsp;⁠</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/1006378/microsoft-surface-laptop-ultra-pricing-release-date">⁠The Surface Laptop Ultra finally has a release date — and a starting price of $2,599⁠</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/1006445/microsofts-surface-laptop-ultra-has-built-in-magnetic-usb-c-charging">⁠Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra has built-in magnetic USB-C charging&nbsp;⁠</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1006356/microsoft-surface-laptop-ultra-behind-the-scenes">⁠How Microsoft built its MacBook Pro competitor&nbsp;⁠</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1006915/microsoft-surface-rtx-spark-dev-box-preorder">⁠Surface RTX Spark Dev Box is available for preorder for $5,999&nbsp;⁠</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/1007040/nvidias-powerful-rtx-spark-laptops-can-cost-up-to-7000">⁠The first Nvidia RTX Spark laptops cost up to $7,000&nbsp;⁠</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1007113/microsoft-windows-copilot-ai-control-search-hybrid-intelligence">⁠Microsoft is giving Copilot more control over Windows and your files </a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1005745/google-googlebook-android-laptops-dell-acer-asus-lenovo-hp-impressions">Our first five impressions of Googlebooks — exciting but underbaked&nbsp;</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1007409/androids-physical-navigation-buttons-are-back-on-googlebooks-but-not-the-way-you-think">Android’s physical navigation buttons are back on Googlebooks, but not the way you think</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1004643/google-android-apps-intel-googlebooks-performance">Google admits not every Android app runs great on Intel Googlebooks&nbsp;</a></li>
 <li>Politico: <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/06/abcs-license-fight-threatens-to-reshape-trump-coverage-01109399">‘Head on a guillotine’: ABC says Trump’s threats are already swaying coverage</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1007276/openai-chatgpt-intelligent-ui-gpt-6">ChatGPT’s ‘Intelligent UI’ update fills its responses with pictures, charts, and buttons</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/1005480/paramount-warner-bros-discovey-merger-closed">Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery complete $110 billion media megamerger&nbsp;</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/1005696/hbo-max-paramout-plus-merge-skydance">HBO Max and Paramount Plus will merge into a single streamer under Skydance&nbsp;</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/1004734/cnn-ceo-mark-thompson-paramount-warner-bros">CNN’s boss will remain as Paramount and WBD merge into Skydance&nbsp;</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/1006852/skydance-is-merging-paramount-and-warner-bros-discoverys-games-teams">Skydance is merging Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery’s games teams.</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1004811/openai-altman-bad-things-ai-tradeoff">Sam Altman says ‘some bad things’ will happen, but AI is totally worth it </a></li>
</ul>
0:00 Cold Open
00:37 David’s back!
01:10 Parenting Chaos Update
02:49 Gadget News Rundown
03:47 New Amazon Alexa Tablets
05:15 Panos Strategy Shift
06:31 Play Store Bet
11:17 Default Android Tablet
13:18 Ads and Pricing Fears
15:30 Amazon Great Products
21:20 Matte Display Debate
25:01 Apple Smart Home Tease
26:12 Siri AI Reality Check
29:08 Smart Home Too Complex
33:37 Candy Crush Question
34:56 iPad Multiuser Problem
39:04 Microsoft AI Surface Push
40:35 Local AI Computing Shift
47:22 Magnetic USB C Charging
48:37 Google Book Laptop Confusion
54:20 AI Agents Need A Surface
58:50 Skepticism About Agents
01:07:46 Brendan Carr is a Dummy
01:09:23 ABC License Chilling Effect
01:11:24 Brendan Carr Ownership Cap
01:12:30 Cable Companies Sue Back
01:14:44 SXSW Corruption Game
01:15:50 Skydance Mega Merger
01:18:04 Debt Layoffs Streamer Cuts
01:22:58 Go90 Scale Returns
01:24:02 Netflix Loses Its Edge
01:30:44 ChatGPT Interactive UI
01:37:47 Sam Altman Tradeoffs
01:44:49 Wrap Up And Plugs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Podurama

Home

Trending

Personal

Your Podcasts

New Episodes

My Files

Favourite Episodes

Tags (Folders)

Recently Played

Bookmarks

Followed Playlists

The AI is in the computer

The Vergecast

AI Chapters

AI Insights

Reviews