Phones don't have lights

Meta's Muse AI agent is cute (sometimes caked-up (x.com/alexandr_wang/status/2102424404584214870…)) and it performs well as a productivity tool. And, if you give it access to your social media and e-mail, it can know basically everything about you. This week on The Vergecast, Nilay Patel, Jake Kastrenakes and David Imel give their reactions to Mark Zuckerberg's demos at Wednesday's Meta Connect keynote. They also talk about the new glasses hardware, including the new VR glasses and audio-only, camera-free Ray-Bans.
Then, we take a look at the newly-announced, chimeric Chrome/Android hybrid Googlebooks, find out why Brendan Carr is a dummy this week, analyze the Paramount merger, discuss what YouTube's A/B video testing means for the increasingly tenuous concept of a shared reality, and end on a surprisingly heartwarming story about RODECaster 4K support.

Further reading:

• Meta Connect 2026: The 7 biggest announcements (theverge.com/tech/999593/meta-connect-2026-eve…)

• Meta Connect 2026 live blog: On the ground at Mark Zuckerberg’s next big product launch (theverge.com/tech/998457/meta-connect-2026-liv…)

• Meta’s Muse AI works and creeps me out (theverge.com/tech/993391/meta-muse-ai-hands-on)

• Amazon blocks Meta’s Muse AI agent (theverge.com/tech/998078/amazon-blocks-meta-mu…)

• Meta ditches the camera on its newest smart glasses (theverge.com/tech/999281/ray-ban-meta-audio-gl…)

• Meta’s next VR device isn’t a headset — it’s glasses (theverge.com/tech/999517/meta-vr-glasses-conne…)

• These are the first five Googlebook laptops (theverge.com/gadgets/997659/googlebooks-breakd…)

• Googlebooks feel like the first laptops built for Android owners (theverge.com/tech/998095/googlebook-laptop-and…)

• I got to see Google’s wild ideas about the future of laptops (theverge.com/tech/997986/google-googlebooks-an…)

• The long dream of the Googlebook (theverge.com/tech/997972/googlebook-laptop-chr…)

• Mahershala Ali On ‘Blade’ Being A Big Failure For Kevin Feige: “100%. He Should Feel That Way” (deadline.com/2026/09/mahershala-ali-blade-kevi…)

• Paramount will need to release way more movies to make this merger work (theverge.com/entertainment/999056/paramount-wa…)

• Xbox is barely Xbox anymore (theverge.com/games/998758/xbox-activision-bliz…)

• YouTube is cooking up new Live features. (theverge.com/streaming/999805/youtube-new-live…)

• Free Rodecaster Video firmware update adds 4K support. (theverge.com/tech/1000019/free-rodecaster-vide…)

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0:00 Welcome Back Banter

00:31 Meta Connect Setup

01:27 Muse First Impressions

05:28 Privacy Trust Gap

07:58 Pervert Glasses Debate

12:55 Passive Surveillance Reality

15:42 Is Muse Actually Winning

18:44 Muse Charm Post Phone

21:38 Do We Need Agents

26:12 Break And Return

26:29 New Meta Hardware

27:00 Audio Only Ray Bans

28:30 Muse Powered Glasses

31:15 Meta Bets on Muse

32:28 Hearing Aid Glasses Pitch

34:40 VR Glasses Return

39:04 Holograms and Splats

42:44 Google Books Arrive

44:57 Android Laptop Lock In

47:49 Windows Fatigue Debate

54:54 Hype Desk Blade Drama

57:14 Remembering Blade Chaos

01:00:37 Blade Reboot Frustrations

01:01:26 Sonos Sponsor Break

01:03:07 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:07:38 Lightning Round Kickoff

01:08:02 Meta Muse Mascot Chaos

01:09:26 Paramount Warner Deal Fallout

01:12:37 YouTube AI Channel Agents

01:14:05 A B Video Testing Ethics

01:21:25 Xbox Layoffs And Halo Shift

01:24:45 Rodecaster Free 4K Update

01:26:36 Muse Marketplace Haggling

01:27:35 Wrap Up And Next Episodes

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