Material
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Material is a weekly discussion about the Google and Android universe. Your intrepid hosts try to answer the question, “What holds up the digital world?” The answer, so far, is that it’s Google all the way down. Hosted by Andy Ihnatko and Florence Ion.
- 1 hour 3 minutes554: Android 17 Fake Out
The Android 17 beta dropped this week... and then it was retracted? Supposedly deleted Nest camera footage plays a crucial role in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case.
Links and Show Notes:
Android 17 Beta 1 is here with major updates for adaptive apps, performance, and media
Google sent personal and financial information of student journalist to ICE
Google Fulfilled ICE Subpoena Demanding Student Journalist Credit Card Number
Google recovers "deleted" Nest video in high-profile abduction case
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12 February 2026, 7:00 pm - 1 hour 3 minutes553: Levers
Google made a ton of money last quarter, perfectly justifying why Gemini is here to stay.
Links and Show Notes:
Alphabet Announces Fourth Quarter 2025 and Fiscal Year Results
Google Books removed all search functions for any books with previews
Project Genie: Experimenting with infinite, interactive worlds
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6 February 2026, 9:00 pm - 1 hour 3 minutes552: The Ghost Inside
Chrome gets infused with more Gemini in the big update that hit this week. And Google's pushing hard for its AI to be seen as a creative tool.
Links and Show Notes:
Become the main character in a new city with AI features from Google Arts & Culture
How animators and AI researchers made ‘Dear Upstairs Neighbors’
Star in your own memes: Introducing Me Meme in Google Photos
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29 January 2026, 6:15 pm - 1 hour 10 minutes551: "The best place for kids and teens"
YouTube's CEO made some major declarations this week, including that it's the best place for your kin. And is Google Keep next on the chopping block? At least one of its core features is.
Links and Show Notes:
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23 January 2026, 10:00 pm - 1 hour 10 minutes550: It's Happening!
The thing that everybody said was probably going to happen happened, so let’s talk about it as a thing with facts as opposed to a bunch of rumors.
Links and Show Notes:
Grok being used to create sexually violent videos featuring women, research finds
Exclusive: Google VP confirms ChromeOS isn’t going anywhere, and neither is 10-year support
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15 January 2026, 6:00 pm - 1 hour 3 minutes549: Everything That Happened to Me Happened on a Dell
Happy New Year! It's back to business with the podcast. Let's talk about CES 2026 and what Google announced it's doing on your TV and in robotics.
Links and Show Notes:
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9 January 2026, 6:00 pm - 54 minutes 1 second548: In Defense of Santa
How did Waymo do during the San Francisco blackout? Also, a late addition to the Google Graveyard, canceled after 25 years of service.
Links and Show Notes:
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24 December 2025, 6:00 am - 57 minutes 54 seconds547: Such Pageantry
YouTube finally has the rights to the Academy Awards. What does this mean for the rest of the broadcast TV landscape? Another Google service was laid to rest in the graveyard.
Links and Show Notes:
UK to “encourage” Apple and Google to put nudity-blocking systems on phones
Google will end dark web reports that alerted users to leaked data
Bringing state-of-the-art Gemini translation capabilities to Google Translate
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18 December 2025, 9:00 pm - 1 hour 21 minutes546: Extending Reality
Google lays out its plans for smart glasses in the new year, while Disney chooses a side in the AI wars.
Links and Show Notes:
The Android Show: New features for Galaxy XR and a look at future devices
Google Reveals the Future of Android XR: AI Glasses to Rival Meta's Ray-Bans and PC Productivity
Disney making $1 billion investment in OpenAI, will allow characters on Sora AI video generator
Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office Selects Google Cloud's AI to Power GenAI.mil
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12 December 2025, 8:00 pm - 1 hour 13 minutes545: Folds Three Times
We were expecting a quiet week. Instead, we got a major Android 16 update and a Samsung phone that folds three ways.
Links and Show Notes:
Android 16's Latest Update Adds Gemini-Powered Notification Summaries and Improved Fraud Detection
Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10 family
Google is experimentally replacing news headlines with AI clickbait nonsense
Samsung reveals Galaxy Z TriFold with 10-inch foldable screen, astronomical price
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4 December 2025, 7:00 pm - 29 minutes 55 seconds544: Something That’s Attainable
We're here, we're relaxed, and we're talking about Aluminum. What is Google planning for the desktop?
Links and Show Notes:
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27 November 2025, 2:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App