The Engadget Podcast

This week, we're diving into the big changes at Xbox and what it all means for Microsoft's gaming future. Phil Spencer, the longtime face of Xbox, announced he's retiring last week. He'll be replaced by Microsoft's former CoreAI CEO Asha Sharma, instead of his longtime deputy Sarah Bond, who plans to leave the company. Will this change actually help the beleaguered Xbox division, or is it another example of Microsoft shoving AI into everything? 

Also, Samsung held its latest Galaxy Unpacked event this week to announce its new Galaxy S26 family. They look pretty much the same as last year, but the Ultra model includes a unique privacy feature that can instantly make the screen unreadable to bystanders. It's one of those features we expect to see in every phone eventually.

Xbox leadership falls apart. what happens next with Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond out? – 1:53

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked: Privacy display on the S26 Ultra looks amazing – 27:27

U.S. Defense leadership gives Anthropic a Friday deadline to let it use Claude as it sees fit – 42:38

MrBeast editor accused of insider trading on Kalshi – 50:40

Discord delays age verification program after user revolt – 54:09

Around Engadget – 1:04:04

Working on – 1:05:16

Pop culture picks – 1:08:21

This week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in a landmark social media trial, claiming the company only wanted to make Instagram "useful" and not addictive. In this episode, we chat about Zuck's testimony and the potential implications of this trial for social media companies. Also, we dive into the latest effects of the RAMaggedon RAM shortage, including a potential PlayStation 6 delay and a dire future for practically every consumer electronics company.

 

Mark Zuckerberg testifies that Instagram was meant to be ‘useful’, not addictive in social media addiction trial – 1:27

Meta reportedly plans to launch a smartwatch later this year – 13:23

The RAMageddon will likely kill some small consumer electronics companies – 15:54

Apple could unveil a MacBook, new M5 Pro chip, and iPhone 17e at March 4th event – 26:26

Google’s Pixel 10a arrives on March 5 – 32:17

Email leaked to 404 media suggests Ring had plans to use its Search Party function for wider surveillance – 34:48

Listener Mail – 45:14

Working on – 48:40

Pop culture picks – 49:04

If you haven't heard, there's now a social network for AI: Moltbook, a site that purportedly features AI agents talking to each other. That includes OpenClaw, a personal AI agent (formerly called Clawdbot and Moltbot) that's open source and free for anyone to run on their systems. In this episode, Devindra and Senior Reporter Karissa Bell discuss the rise of these services, and the potential future that AI agents may have for all of us.
 
What is Moltbook and OpenClaw? – 1:31
Anthropic reinforces its commitment against ads with Super Bowl ad spots – 19:32
SpaceX acquires xAI and plans for a mega IPO – 27:08
Alexa + rolls out free for all Amazon Prime subscribers – 33:36
Around Engadget: Reviews of the New AirTag and Switch Virtual Boy – 44:12
Working on – 46:34
Pop culture picks – 49:24

Somehow, we live in a world where people can bet on practically anything using sites like Polymarket and Kalshi. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget Senior Reporter Karissa Bell dive into the world of betting markets. How did we get here? And is endless betting having an effect on the real world? Also, we chat about the new American version of TikTok, which stumbled during its first weekend with a litany of errors and reported censorship.
 
Who’s going to buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Tri-fold for $2900? – 1:18
Tesla is killing off the Model X and S lines to focus on its Optimus robot moonshot – 6:46
Amazon plans to cut 16,000 jobs and close its grocery stores in another round of restructuring – 10:45
Most of the UK will lose access to Pornhub in a fight over age verification and privacy – 21:16
Internal messages from Meta about Instagram being ‘a drug’ for teens could be bombshell evidence at trial – 26:59
What are prediction markets and why are they suddenly so popular? – 32:11
As TikTok US stumbles, users ask ‘is it server problems or censorship?’ – 46:55
Around Engadget – 59:11
Pop culture picks – 1:01:23

Apple is reportedly working on an AI pin of its very own to compete with OpenAI's non-existent pin. No, it doesn't really make much sense to us, either. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget Managing Editor Cherlynn Low discuss why Apple might be quick to jump on the AI pin trend, even before it jumps into smart rings. 
 
TCL is taking over Sony’s Bravia TV business in a new joint venture – 0:58
Last week’s Verizon outage was resolved after 10 hours, no official word on what caused it – 8:39
Youtube CEO promises more AI video tools for creators while also denouncing deepfakes – 12:19
The FTC isn’t giving up on its Meta antitrust case – 14:22
Trump family earnings from crypto may total $1.4B in 2025, but likely much more – 19:00
Adobe Acrobat can now generate presentations and podcasts from your documents – 21:12
Why the heck would Apple make an AI pin?? – 25:15
Around Engadget: Sony LinkBuds Clip review, Volvo EX60 and Canon EOS R6 III reviews – 43:14
Pop culture picks – 46:34