This week on Gadgettes, we’ve got our honorary Dude-gette filling in as our co-host is out sick. Phillip Tracy joins us to talk about what’s next from Apple, as foretold by the rumor mill churning away. We’ll talk about the latest patents filed by Apple and dive into some of the reports from noted leakers.
Then, Sony does it again, grooving into our hearts with its new WH-1000XM5 headphones. The model name doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, but you won’t care once you realize these are some of the best headphones money can buy.
Finally, in defense of printers, Flo explains why she asked Birthday Santa to equip her with an at-home print shop. Listen to this week’s episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
What is Gadgettes?
Gizmodo’s Gadgettes is a weekly consumer technology podcast that aims to be inclusive of a variety of technology viewpoints—because gadgets should be accessible to all. If you want to check us out, you can listen and subscribe to Gadgettes wherever you get your podcasts, or try us at Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, or plain RSS.
Thanks for tuning in, and if you have questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you: gadgettes@gizmodo.com
Are there more episodes?
Yes! Here’s everything.
1. Why You’d Want to Buy a New MacBook, Plus a Smart Ring for Women: We’re fresh off a batch of gadget reviews. Caitlin walks us through the new features of the MacBook Pro and the abilities of its M1 Max chip. Then, Victoria joins us to talk about the new Oura Ring and its improved tracking features. We’ll also talk about our favorite parts of Halloween and why the phrase “Google it” is a bonafide insult.
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2. We Have a Problem With Plugging Into The Metaverse (It’s Facebook): We’re diving into why the company formerly known as Facebook is trying to sell us on the metaverse. Are we all going to strap virtual reality headsets to our faces and exist as virtual avatars for both work and fun? Is that realistic, and does it even sound… pleasant? Then Gizmodo reporter Shoshana Wodinsky, who covers the business of data, explains to us what the Facebook Papers have revealed about how the company tweaks its algorithms—and what you can do about it if you’re deeply embedded in Facebook (or Instagram or WhatsApp). Then please allow us to fangirl over Peloton, our favorite connected fitness cult. We can’t help it; we love the bike (and Cody Rigsby).
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3. The Best Phones of the Year, and Why Netflix Needs to Do Less: we’re guiding you toward your next big smartphone purchase. Caitlin and Flo share what they like about the newest Apple and Android smartphones, including Samsung’s folding ones. Then, Gizmodo reporter Brianna Provenzano joins us to talk Netflix. She’ll walk us through why the streaming app has taken over headlines lately and why it’s going after TikTok. We’ll also talk about another kind of metaverse: the cute and comfy Animal Crossing kind. The game received a big update in time for cozy gaming season. If you don’t have a Nintendo Switch, Flo has some suggestions for other games that can bring you comfort and joy during the upcoming season of hibernation.
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4. The Gadgettes Gift Guide: The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and we’ve got you covered with our recommendations, from earbuds that make for great stocking stuffers to smartwatches worth wearing. We’ll also discuss the gadgets that you should never give as gifts. And, because it’s that time of year, Caitlin and Flo also share their personal wishlists.
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5. How to Talk About Crypto and Climate Change With Your Family: We’re womansplaining how to talk tech with your family and friends at the Thanksgiving dinner table. We’ll help you navigate the hard conversations around Facebook, the metaverse, and why buying crypto is kind of like going to the casino (without the free drinks). Then Earther staff writer Molly Taft joins us to talk about climate change and tell us how the world was saved at the recent U.N. climate talks (lol). She also explains how to talk about the climate with your family, and what you can do personally to help the earth. It’s not all doom and gloom: Flo fangirls over the 25th anniversary of Tamagotchi and gets deep in her feels about her childhood with virtual pets. Millennials, this one’s for you.
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6. According to Spotify, We’re All Extremely Sad: We’re womansplaining why Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey stepped down to become a full-time crypto bro and what this means for the social network we love to hate. Then Gizmodo reporter Brianna Provenzano joins us to discuss why our Spotify Wrapped playlists are all so damn sad (hint: look around you) and why Spotify wants to be TikTok. Finally, Caitlin and Flo fangirl over the music that’s been fueling them over the last year and revisit their scenester roots.
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7. The Green Bubble Struggle, Plus the Gadgettes Holiday Movie Preview: We’re womansplaining the Android/iPhone divide, seen most clearly in text messages. Turns out iPhone users have been annoying their Android friends for ages, and Google is trying to fix it. Then io9 Deputy Editor Jill Pantozzi joins us for a holiday movie sneak peek. Will Spider-man: No Way Home be worth venturing to the movie theater to see? What on earth is happening in The Matrix Resurrections? Jill explains it all. Lastly, Caitlin and Flo fangirl over their childhood holiday film faves. ‘Tis the season to get cozy.
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8. The Problem With AirTags and Why Keanu Reeves Is Perfect: We’re womansplaining Web3 and why it makes us yearn for the early days of the internet. Are Web3 and the blockchain going to revolutionize the world, or will Facebook, Amazon, and Google dominate the next generation of the web? Then, we’ll chat about why Android users are now protected from being stalked by Apple AirTags, and what you should know before putting trackers on all your stuff. Finally, we get a little thirsty talking about why Keanu Reeves is just perfect. (Hint: NFTs make him laugh, too!)
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9. The Present Sucks, Let’s Talk About the Future: We’re optimistically womansplaining the near future, hoping it will make us forget the disaster that has been 2021. First, Caitlin and Flo recall the debut of Google Glass and why Apple might make us forget all about “glassholes” with its rumored mixed reality headset in 2022. Then Gizmodo reporter Brianna Provenzano joins us to talk about Facebook’s smart glasses, developed in partnership with Ray-Ban, and why looking like a spy has never been so uncool. Finally, we take a moment to chill out and explore ways to be mindful and zen as the world burns.
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10. What We Expect From CES, Which Was Definitely Not Canceled: It’s the last Gadgettes episode of the year, so we’re getting a little sentimental. We’ll dive into why it seems like everyone received the Oculus Quest 2 for Christmas and why this doesn’t mean the metaverse is catching on. Then Gizmodo Senior Reporter Phillip Tracy makes an appearance as Gadgettes’ first and Only Man™ to walk us through the biggest gadgets we’ll see at CES next week (and why it’s even still happening). Finally, Flo and Caitlin fangirl over the surprising gadgets they loved this year.
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11. The Weirdest Things We Saw At CES, and Why the Apple Watch Is Scary Good: We’re womansplaining why Apple’s intense Apple Watch ad reminds us that life is a little scary for women. Then, we’ll take you on our (virtual) journey to the biggest technology show of the year, CES, and talk about all the gadgets you’re going to get to buy later this year, from really weird laptops to impressive (and expensive) TVs. Finally, we’ll fangirl over snacks because we’re tired and busy and food is good.
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12. Why We Love TV (but Not Keeping Up With Krypto): We’re womansplaining why women are investing in crypto and why you shouldn’t go to your favorite celebrity for financial advice. (Do we seriously need to tell you why?) Then, get on your couch and cozy up with your favorite blanket: We’re watching TV. Caitlin and Flo share how they picked their favorite streaming services and why we’re now paying as much money as cable. Finally, we’ll fangirl over the shows we’ve been watching lately, from deep dramas to reality TV.
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13. Instagram Goes OnlyFans, and Why Microsoft Needs to Ban Bad Men: We’re womansplaining why you might pay for your favorite Instagram influencer’s exclusive Stories and reminisce about the simpler, weirder cam girl era. Then (trigger warning: mentions of sexual assault), we’re going to talk about why Microsoft bought a deeply problematic video game studio and what it all means—especially for women who work in technology and gaming. Finally, we’ll take a deep breath to fangirl over self-improvement, specifically, the tech resolutions we’re making this year to get our shit together.
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14. What to Expect From Samsung’s Big Event, and Why Computers Suck Sometimes: We’re womansplaining what to expect from Samsung’s next event. Spoiler alert: If you were a fan of the big-ass Galaxy Note, you’ll want to see what’s coming. Next, we chat with Gizmodo reporter Shoshana Wodinsky about how Google plans to change the way it tracks you around the internet—and why you might not care, but probably should. Finally, we’ll gripe about gadgets making our lives miserable. Even technology experts have extremely bad weeks when it comes to computers.
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15. RIP Wordle, Plus What the Hell Is Going on at Spotify?: What’s at stake for everyone’s favorite five-letter word game? The New York Times bought Wordle for a cool seven figures, and players are worried about what happens next. Then, strap in because we’re wading in Joe Rogan territory. Musicians are taking their music down from Spotify over vaccine misinformation spread on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. We wonder how this will end for everyone involved—including those of us who use Spotify. Finally, we’ll end on a high note: fangirling over plans we’re making to manifest a vaccine for the little ones.
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16. Samsung’s Best Phone Gets a Reboot, Plus Apple’s Game-Changing New Features: All about the Samsung Galaxy Note–sorry, Flo keeps calling it that. It’s the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It has a stylus and a big screen, and we went hands-on to tell you all about it. Then, Caitlin will walk us through some of the new Mac and iOS features coming soon. Unlocking your iPhone with a mask on is going to get so much easier. Finally, we’ll talk like big spenders for the final few as we figure out what this year’s big tech purchases will be.
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17. What Exactly Is a Metamate? Plus Sony Reinvents the Wheel (or Some Earbuds): Why Meta shouldn’t call its employees “Metamates.” Mark Zuckerberg is leaning in to get us to forget about Facebook, but we’re struggling to take any of it seriously. Then, we’ll introduce you to Sony’s brand new LinkBuds. They’re a different kind of earbud than you’re normally used to, and they feature touchless control. Finally, we’ll take another walk down nostalgia lane and discuss where you stream your favorites from long-ago TV.
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18. Which Samsung Smartphone to Buy, Plus Our Plea to Peloton: Gizmodo reporter Phillip Tracy, our honorary dude-gette, joins us to talk about which of Samsung’s new stuff is worth buying, including the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Galaxy S22+, and the Galaxy Tab S8+ tablet. Then, as self-described Pelotoners, we discuss why Peloton should invest in its teachers to save its business. Finally, Flo goes full rogue and drags Phil into a convo about why being a Windows user is just fine!
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19. The Queen Is Not Dead, and Neither Is the Mac: Why the Queen of England is not dead. We’ll tell you why the monarchy is the next target of conspiracy theorists and why you shouldn’t believe every picture you see. Then, we’ll walk you through everything Apple announced at its event this week. Is that new Mac Studio worth its starting price of $2,000? And how ultra is the new M1 Ultra from Apple? Finally, we fangirl over fake meat.
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20. Grimes Has a New Baby, and We Have The New iPhone SE: We’re dissecting why Grimes is making headlines with the latest revelation about her second child with Elon Musk. Then, Flo holds her first iPhone in ten years, and she has a crisis of faith. Caitlin helps walk her through some of the iPhone’s best features to try first. Finally, a quick ode to the Pop Socket, which has become an essential smartphone accessory.
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21. Instagram is Going Back to Basics: It’s Caitlin’s penultimate week. We womansplain why Theranos is the greatest grift in Silicon Valley history and why you should be watching The Dropout on Hulu. Then, Instagram’s chronology is back to help make your social media doom-scrolling “more intentional.” Will it work? Finally, we invite Gizmodo’s James Whitbrook to catch us up on Riverdale and tell us why season six is the most unhinged.
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22. How Crypto and NFTs Are Turning Earth Into a Commodity: We’re saying goodbye to our co-host, Caitlin McGarry. We ponder the Dyson Zone, a mask that thinks it’s a pair of headphones, and why you shouldn’t always go for the latest high-tech gadgets. Then, Gizmodo’s Molly Taft and Protocol’s Brian Kahn join us to chat about how NFTs and cryptocurrency are exploiting the planet. Finally, we’ll fangirl over our favorite apps for exercising outside.
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23. Where In The World Is Fitbit?: We’re getting caught up on the wide world of wearables and fitness with The Verge’s Victoria Song. We remember Fitbit as the company that set the precedent for fitness wearables and wonder if they’ll ever recreate the magic for Android users wishing they had an Apple Watch. Then, Victoria walks us through her experience with the new Peloton Guide, a webcam that watches you work out. Finally, some tips on gadgets and apps you can use to train for a run.
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24. Why We’re Still Waiting for the Future of the Smart Home: We’ve got Kate Kozuch from Tom’s Guide joining us to talk about why the future of the smart home is not quite here yet. The unifying Matter standard won’t arrive until the end of the year, but we’ll talk about why that’s good news for your smart bulbs. Then, Kate dishes on her experience using the wall-mounted Tonal to get a workout and how it attempts to live up to its tagline of being a total home gym. Finally, Gizmodo’s Linda Codega tells us how one startup uses NFTs to infiltrate the beloved Dungeons & Dragons.
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25. Stop Sharing Your Netflix Password, or We’ll Get Ads: We introduce our brand new co-host, Michelle Ehrhardt! We talk about why Netflix is in a freefall and why you should stop sharing your account password with family and friends. Then, Phillip Tracy joins us to answer a couple of listener questions about what to buy. We’ll touch on smart bulbs, home media servers, and even vape pens. Finally, your co-hosts gush over their favorite gateway anime.
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26. Musk Goes Bird Hunting: We have to talk about Elon Musk buying Twitter. It was the biggest news of the week–it still is!–and it will affect everyone who is on the platform. Then, we’ll talk about the Pixel Watch “leak” and why the shenanigans around it are still not enough to convince us it will fix Android’s problem with smartwatches. Finally, we get into the wonders of mechanical keyboards, from the actual boards we love to use to the switches we prefer to type on.
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27. Apple Will Ship You 79 Pounds of Gear for $49: We’re announcing some changes to the podcast: there’s video coming, but the audio feed will stay the same! We also talk about the latest in the right to repair movement and why we’re happy Apple, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft will finally let us try to fix our stuff. Then, a look ahead at what’s on the horizon in Gadgetland. New phones, watches, and VR headsets are coming, and we’ll tell you why you might want to wait. Finally, Michelle and Flo go all-in on their respective Star Wars fandom and why the prequels aren’t that bad.
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28. Gadgettes Recap Google I/O 2022: Google held its annual developer conference, and it’s all we’re talking about. We’ll give you the details on the new Pixel hardware coming through the pipeline, from the Pixel 6a to the Pixel tablet that’s not due until 2023. Then, we’ll go through some other new Google features announced at its keynote. The company will let you delete yourself from searches and let you edit the types of ads that it serves you. But as always, there are caveats. Finally, we’ll get into how we feel about Google’s “one more thing.”
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