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PODCAST

Material

Material is a weekly discussion about the Google and Android universe. Your intrepid hosts try to answer the question, “What holds up the digital world?” The answer, so far, is that it’s Google all the way down. Hosted by Andy Ihnatko and Florence Ion.

technology tech news

All Episodes

64:35

286: Media Preppers

Material ·

2020/12/18

Andy tries to plant his own koala in the Christmas tree but to no avail, and the Google Home Max is officially dunzo. We'll tell you why you couldn't read your Gmail this week and how Google plans to breathe new life into expired PCs and Macs. Before we sign off, Andy regales us with a bit of operatic knowledge.

en-US

70:11

285: A Summary

Material ·

2020/12/11

Flo is back from taking her Project Baseline COVID test, and she'll tell us all about it. Then, it's all about Dr. Timnit Gebru. We'll tell you who she is, why she was fired from Google Brain, and what's transpired in the days since. We'll also talk about why you want ethics in artificial intelligence and what Google's losing with her sudden departure. And don't worry, we'll cleanse the palate with a cute Christmas critter from Down Under.

en-US

69:57

284: Every Day is Labor Day

Material ·

2020/12/04

Flo is out sick, but Andy is still on it. The week's top stories include Andy's Black Friday finds and the span of Google's major labor troubles. Everything from why the National Labor Relations Board is going after Google to why it might have fired well-known AI ethicist Timnit Gebru. Andy also loses his mind over a DeepMind AI breakthrough, then cleanses your palate by asking Google for some holiday cheer.

en-US

72:29

283: Commitment Problems

Material ·

2020/11/28

Andy and Flo are here for your holiday weekend to tell you what's on sale and what's worth buying now that warehouses everywhere are clearing out stock. We also discuss Google separating emojis from the system update cycle and why The Go-Gos are worth a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

en-US

75:23

282: Vamping and Revamping

Material ·

2020/11/20

Google has lots of little updates for us this week from Google Pay, Google Fit, Google Chrome, and even Google cast, with the company confirming Nest Audio and Chromecast with Google TV integration is on the horizon. Admittedly, we're also a little bummed that YouTube won't be releasing a "YouTube Rewind" video for 2020.

en-US

66:49

281: And The Shoe Keeps Dropping

Material ·

2020/11/13

Andy experiences an earthquake, and Google tells him all about it. We discuss what President-Elect Biden's Administration could look like for Big Tech and why we're mourning the loss of unlimited photo backup to Google Photos. We congratulate Eric Schmidt for winning citizenship in a country once known for being a picturesque tax haven.

en-US

69:27

280: The Next American President

Material ·

2020/11/06

Andy and Flo keep it quick this week because we know you've got some nail-biting to get back to. We discuss YouTube's failure at stifling U.S. election misinformation, plus what "Internet Imperialists" do with their time off. We also discuss the pros and cons of using a Google VPN, the latest manufacturing drama with the Pixel 5, and why folks are still kvetching en masse about the new Google app icons.

en-US

90:27

279: Insults and Absurdities

Material ·

2020/10/30

Happy Halloween! This week's tantalizingly scary podcast is made even more so by an intense and thorough breakdown of the latest in congressional whining. We point out the atrocities and absurdities, plus the casual racism flung toward Sundar Pichai. We also discuss Stadia's Very Bad, No Good Social Media Day, and we pay homage to the Google apps and services that have gone to the other side.

en-US

82:55

278: Malarkey

Material ·

2020/10/22

It really is a week of pure malarkey, as Google is not only put through the wringer by the Department of Justice but called out for providing its AI tech for border surveillance—yes, _that_ border. To lighten things up, we try humming songs for Google to guess.

en-US

84:46

277: Partitioning Our Brains

Material ·

2020/10/15

Andy's sick of Chrome's "phishing" attempts and Flo resents Google Maps spilling the beans on generations-old secrets. We go deep into the House of Representatives' recent anti-trust report and its consensus on Google, then steer it back up with some helpful new accessible Android features. We implore you to try out Google's new art filters in its Arts and Culture app; it's a great way to make yourself look like Van Gough must have felt.

en-US

104:01

276: 90 Million Dollar Tumor

Material ·

2020/10/09

It's another packed episode this week. Flo and Andy discuss the perilous lure of nostalgia, plus the other big Google news that occurred the week of the big Pixel event and what it means for the company's employees. We gush over our new hardware; Flo has the Nest Audio and Andy has the Chromecast with Google TV. We end with a little about how Google is working to help detect sign language in chat apps.

en-US

97:20

275: Feature Drop

Material ·

2020/10/02

It's everything and so much more. Andy and Flo recall the days of yore when they could eat molten chocolate lava cakes in dingy restaurants, before running down nearly everything Google announced at this week's Launch Night In. (For those who just want the news, we start at about 20 minutes in.) We go in-depth about the Chromecast with Google TV—including Flo's first 24 hours with it—the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5, and the Nest Audio. Plus, a rundown of the virtual event.

en-US

92:22

274: Put a Ring On It

Material ·

2020/09/25

Flo is hoping that Google figures out a way to keep kids from growing up too fast and Andy finally commits to the Pixel 4a. We talk about how Chrome OS is also doing a bunch of growing on its own. Then, why Google is adopting a hybrid work-from-home model and how to use the new COVID transmission layer on Google Maps. For those on Android 11, we help you unlock the secret kitty game. _Kitties!_

en-US

79:52

273: Google's 99 Problems

Material ·

2020/09/17

This week, another ode to the Gympie-Gympie Bush as we hear from a listener about new discoveries from science labs down under. We discuss Apple's announcements and the features we'd borrow for Android and why Google is tightening its internal message boards. We explain how Senators are grilling Google in the latest anti-trust hearings, and what to expect from its next hardware event. Plus, how Google is committing to a carbon-free future, and "spilled tea" involving YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki.

en-US

88:01

272: Dingus

Material ·

2020/09/10

Flo is on a journey to recreate the operating system of her youth, and Andy encourages it. We discuss the launch of Android 11, like your friends who are just having a beer and sharing some stats. We bum you out with the sinking realization that everything is still wrong in the world (it's why Google Maps automatically blurred out protest slogans in Hong Kong). And then, we lift your spirits with a reflective interview with Google's former camera czar, Marc Levoy.

en-US

89:38

271: Event Horizon

Material ·

2020/09/03

Andy still isn't sold on Android's future for streaming music, and Flo wonders why she doesn't have the Issa Rae option available in her Assistant voice settings. Then, we talk about the Made by Google event that hasn't been announced quite yet but that everyone keeps alluding to. We also dive into some regional Google news, as well as UFOs.

en-US

75:38

270: Terribly Exciting and Terribly Concerning

Material ·

2020/08/28

Flo and Andy ponder the future of streaming media now that Google Play Music is no longer playing along. We tell you why Google engineers are confused about Android's privacy settings and how the new Earthquake Alert System works around the world. Then, a bit of praise for Google Maps and how we wish we could be using it to explore somewhere new.

en-US

80:59

269: Google Down Under

Material ·

2020/08/20

Andy has the Pixel 4a, and Flo can't capture the California wildfires with the OnePlus 8's Nightscape mode. We talk about the farce that is timely software updates, and why you should pay attention to why Google wrote an open letter to Australia.

en-US

84:59

268: The Right Kind of Distraction

Material ·

2020/08/14

We're all about indulging in distractions this week. We talk about our seemingly neverending frustration with the transition over to YouTube Music, then dive into all the drama associated with Epic Games' epic lawsuit against Google and Apple. We gush at length about the new Microsoft Surface Duo and how it might shape the future of Android devices to come. We continue to wonder out loud whether there's any hope for Wear OS. And we muse about how the Pixel is the second coming of the Nexus

en-US

90:15

267: Rebuilding Year

Material ·

2020/08/06

Google's new Family Bell feature for homeschooling is a reminder it sucks to be a parent to school-aged kids right now. We'll touch upon the bummers from Alphabet's Q2 earnings call and why it's wrong to steal. This week also brings us the Pixel 4a and a whole lineup of new Samsung gadgets. We'll end wondering if NearbyShare will solve our cross-platform file-moving woes, and explain why file browsers have long implemented a "safe folder."

en-US

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