Want to link from Google’s app store to your app? That’ll be $2–4 per install
Want to link from Google's app store to your app? That'll be $2–4 per install Today was the deadline for Google to reveal how it’s complying with Judge James Donato’s order to crack open Android for third-party app stores, stop illegally tying its Google Play Billing system to its app store, and let developers link […]
Who owns Trump Mobile?
Who owns Trump Mobile? Where’s the Trump Phone? We’re going to keep talking about it every week, except next week, when we take a break until the new year. We’ve reached out, as usual, to ask about the Trump Phone’s whereabouts. As usual, we’re still waiting for a response. In the meantime, we’re wondering who’s […]
Brendan Carr is a dummy
Brendan Carr is a dummy All year on The Vergecast, we’ve been tracking the many bizarre and problematic actions of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. There has been a lot to discuss! Then, this week, ahead of one of our last episodes of the year, Carr appeared in front of the Senate Commerce Committee and spent […]
The TikTok US sale is finally happening
The TikTok US sale is finally happening TikTok has finalized the deal to sell its US business, according to reports from Axios, The Hollywood Reporter, and CNBC. They report that a memo from TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to employees on Thursday said the deal will close on January 22nd, with Oracle, Silver Lake, and […]
Apple opens iOS to third-party app stores in Japan
Apple opens iOS to third-party app stores in Japan Apple has announced the changes it’s making to the iOS App Store in Japan in order to comply with recent legislation in the country. It will allow third-party app stores and payment processing options, though is introducing new commission fees for those transactions. Developers in Japan […]
Even Trump’s chief of staff was ‘aghast’ at Elon Musk’s deadly USAID cuts
Even Trump's chief of staff was 'aghast' at Elon Musk's deadly USAID cuts Elon Musk, a billionaire who decimated the United States federal workforce using the Department of Government Efficiency, is not remembered fondly by the most powerful woman in Washington: Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff and the gatekeeper to President Donald Trump. […]
How Silicon Valley turned Trump into a fellow broligarch
How Silicon Valley turned Trump into a fellow broligarch U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as (L-4th L) White House “AI and Crypto Czar” David Sacks, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and first lady Melania Trump listen during a dinner at the State Dining Room of the White House on September 4, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo […]
‘Twitter never left:’ X sues Operation Bluebird for trademark infringement
'Twitter never left:' X sues Operation Bluebird for trademark infringement X Corp. is suing Operation Bluebird, a recently-announced startup that aims to reclaim the Twitter brand for a new social network. In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, the Elon Musk-owned company alleges Operation Bluebird is “brazenly attempting to steal” Twitter’s trademarks, claiming “Twitter never left […]
Texas is suing all of the big TV makers for spying on what you watch
Texas is suing all of the big TV makers for spying on what you watch Texas is suing five of the biggest TV makers, accusing them of “secretly recording what consumers watch in their own homes.” In separate lawsuits filed on Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claims the TVs made by Sony, Samsung, LG, […]
Trump is recruiting Big Tech workers for the government
Trump is recruiting Big Tech workers for the government President Donald Trump will recruit workers from Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and other tech giants to form the US Tech Force, a new program that aims to “modernize the federal government,” according to an announcement on Monday. Under the new program, Trump plans to hire […]