Decoder is a show from The Verge about big ideas — and other problems. Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to a diverse cast of innovators and policymakers ...
So today I’m talking to Andy Hawkins, The Verge’s transportation editor, about what’s going on in the skies. Andy just edited a big piece for us by writer Darryl Campbell that helps put a lot of what’s happening in air travel right now in perspective. It has some very reassuring data points, but it also raises important questions about what we need to do next to reinstill confidence in air travel.
Andy and I talked about how safe it really is to fly right now — extremely safe, it turns out — and how the current air traffic systems might change for better and worse. And, of course, we talked about Elon Musk.
Links:
What’s the deal with all these airplane crashes? | Verge
How Elon Musk muscled his way into the FAA | Bloomberg
Elon Musk says upgrade of FAA’s air traffic control system is failing | CNN
FAA targeting Verizon contract in favor of Musk’s Starlink, sources say | WashPo
FAA officials ordered staff to find funding for Elon Musk’s Starlink | Rolling Stone
FAA announces ‘hiring supercharge’ for air traffic controllers | Forbes
Air traffic control trainees to get raise, in nod to cost of living | NYT
Some of the 400 jobs that were cut at the FAA helped support air safety | AP
DC plane crash marks first major commercial crash in US since 2009 | ABC
What the ATC controller sees | Flight Training Central
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
40:43
Amazon’s Panos Panay on the long road to Alexa’s AI overhaul
Panos Panay is in charge of devices and services at Amazon — that's everything from Alexa and Kindle to Ring, Eero, and even the Project Kuiper satellite internet service that's meant to compete with Starlink.
He's led the team through giving Alexa a big AI infusion which is what drew him to Amazon after nearly 20 years with Microsoft. Like so many folks in tech, he sees AI as a platform shift that will change the way we use computers.
Fair warning: We talk about Alexa a lot in this one, so you might want to go mute your Alexa device mics now.
Links:
With Alexa Plus, Amazon finally reinvents its best product | Verge
The future of the Kindle with Panos Panay | Vergecast
Amazon announces AI-powered Alexa Plus | Verge
All of the announcements from Amazon’s Alexa Plus event | Verge
Alexa Plus arrives with promise but plenty of questions | Verge
Amazon Leadership Principles | Amazon
How Amazon runs Alexa, with Dave Limp (2021) | Decoder
Alexa loses her voice | YouTube
Humane is shutting down the AI pin | Verge
Mike Krieger wants to build AI products that are worth the hype | Verge
Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/621232
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
1:13:41
Elon Musk's polarizing ascent in the MAGA movement
This is Alex Heath, deputy editor of The Verge. I’m guest hosting today’s episode while Nilay is still away for a much-needed vacation. He’ll be back next week. But today, we’re diving into the bromance between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, and more specifically, how it’s impacting the changing right-wing political movement here in the United States.
There’s no better place to get that temperature check than CPAC. Musk showed up there this year for a wild interview — you may have seen clips of him waving around a literal chainsaw. Thankfully, Verge policy Gaby del Valle was on the ground this year, and as you’ll hear her say, she barely slept. But she got a front-row look at how the world of MAGA really feels about Elon, DOGE, and regulating Big Tech.
Links:
I cannot describe how strange Elon Musk’s CPAC appearance was | Verge
At CPAC, the world’s populists parrot the leader who inspired them | Politico
Government still threatening to ‘semi-fire’ workers who don’t answer Musk email | Verge
Saying ‘no’ to Musk | NYT
What that chainsaw was really about | NYT
Sequins, merch, chainsaws: Trump’s return to CPAC | NYT
Bannon calls Musk a ‘parasitic illegal immigrant’ | NYT
New York got $80 Million for migrants. The White House took it back | NYT
Federal technology staffers resign rather than help Musk and DOGE | AP
National Park Service layoffs, hiring delays impact visitors | NPR
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
39:55
Vimeo CEO Philip Moyer is betting on the human touch — and AI
Vimeo started many years ago as something of an artsier, more creative competitor to YouTube. Its last CEO, Anjali Sud, took the company through a pretty huge transformation into an enterprise software company, and we had her on the show to talk about that transformation a couple years ago.
Now, her successor, new CEO Philip Moyer, not only has to decide what parts of that strategy are working, but also how to navigate the addition of AI to the mix, and deal with the basic math of the creator economy: The amount of video in the world is exploding, but the total amount of time a person can spend watching any of it is pretty fixed. So with AI adding to the volume, how is anyone going to be able to make any money at all?
Links:
How Anjali Sud reinvented Vimeo | Decoder (2021)
How Dropout is taking control with Vimeo OTT | Vimeo
Squarespace CEO Anthony Casalena on making a website in 2023 | Decoder
Wix CEO Avishai Abrahami on why the web isn’t dying | Decoder
NBCU’s streaming chief isn’t worried about you canceling cable | Decoder
Vimeo names new CMO as it focuses on business video | WSJ
The truth about Vimeo and YouTube SEO | Vimeo
Google’s counteroffer to a breakup is unbundling Android apps | Verge
China opens Google antitrust probe in retaliation to tariffs | Verge
Vimeo’s position on AI | Vimeo
Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/616820
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
1:17:16
Why gaming never had its Netflix moment
This is David Pierce, editor-at-large at The Verge. Nilay is off this week for a much-deserved break. So I’m filling in for him, and the Decoder team thought this would be a good opportunity to switch gears a little bit from the political apocalypse beat and talk about something completely different. So today we’re diving into the video game industry and discussing a particular set of very thorny problems facing Microsoft and its Xbox division.
I invited Ash Parrish, The Verge’s video game reporter, to discuss the issues facing Xbox, Microsoft’s big ambitions with its Game Pass subscription service, and why the game industry hasn’t had its Netflix or Spotify moment yet.
Links:
Xbox continues its push beyond consoles with new ad campaign | Verge
The next Xbox is going to be very different | Verge
2025 looks like a great year for Xbox | Verge
Microsoft prepares to take Xbox everywhere | Verge
Microsoft and Google are fighting over the future of Xbox | Verge
Microsoft was the No.1 games publisher in the world last month | VGC
Xbox games in Game Pass ‘can lose 80% of premium sales’ | VGC
Phil Spencer: No ‘red lines’ over Xbox games coming to Switch, PlayStation | Eurogamer
Microsoft’s Xbox turmoil isn’t slowing down | Verge
Microsoft says Game Pass is profitable as subscription growth slows | Verge
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Decoder is a show from The Verge about big ideas — and other problems. Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to a diverse cast of innovators and policymakers at the frontiers of business and technology to reveal how they’re navigating an ever-changing landscape, what keeps them up at night, and what it all means for our shared future.
USA