Material
by Relay
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.
Episodes
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591: Mo’ AI, Mo’ Problems
It's like the more AI that Google comes across, the more problems it sees.
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590: Foldable-Curious
No spoilers in this week's episode, but there is plenty of chatter about how the iPhone Duo's debut could topple Android's foldable empire.
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589: Lazy, Inactive
Gemini 4 hit our computers early, and Google made it easier for you to publish an app for a friend.
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588: The Clean Bathroom
Google introduces a way to make AI slop more fun, but it's ruffling the feathers of game developers everywhere.
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587: But You Promised
Google’s promise of a decade of updates for certain Chromebooks is suddenly in question. Gemini 4 debuts months after it was promised.
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586: An Awesome Accessory for an Android Phone
Let's dissect the newly announced Googlebook laptop lineup, even though neither of us has touched it yet. Also, no one asked for the latest Harry Potter-themed Pixel Drop!
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585: Never Look Inside the Black Box
Samsung responds to the iPhone Duo launch, Google tests a new scheme to pay publishers for AI use, and a 9-year-old racks up a $118,000 bill on YouTube ad campaigns.
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584: Sure, We Can Talk
Apple entered the foldables world, and Flo went hands-on _ish_.
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583: Pudding
We're not too thrilled about the Mr. Beast collab with Google, or Google Maps renaming Lake Ontario. We explain why the latter happens every time a lake gets unnecessarily renamed.
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582: Thank God, Me!
New phone, new problems. Andy regales us with the tale of upgrading to the Pixel 11 Pro XL.
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581: Element of Surprise
Andy pretends he's got a four-year-old Pixel that needs upgrading. You'll never guess what happens next. And why is Google buying up Spirit Airlines' data?
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580: Facts, Not Feelings
Android Authority's Stephen Schenck joins Flo to discuss Made by Google mania and whether Trevor Noah makes a worthy host.
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579: Musical Chairs
Google's top AI researchers are heading for greener pastures. The company adds generative AI where it should never have been.
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578: Flim Flam
Google made a ton of money last quarter on AI, which is good, because now it owes the EU $1 Billion for violating the Digital Markets Act.
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577: The Squatter Foldable
More Android XR and foldable devices are on the way, just as Google quadruples its profits.
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576: Another Chance
OnePlus is done for in the U.S. and Europe, but why? Don't drunkenly hijack a Waymo to go around shooting water pellets.
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575: Declaration of Independence
Google surprises us with an invite to its Pixel launch event before Samsung can even get the word out on its foldables. And why is Google using AI to sign the Declaration of Independence?
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574: What's Going On?
What's happening in the world of Android phones? And more importantly, what's happening with Google's impact on the climate?
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573: Ice-cold Creepy
What does the Google and A24 partnership mean for the future of moviemaking? And what will Android's Audio Memory "hear" for itself?
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572: Dispatches From Behind the Walled Garden
A triumphant return from WWDC to talk about the official release of Android 17 and the new Google Home speaker.
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571: Siri the Valkyrie
Siri AI isn't Gemini; it's something else. Apple details its revamped plans for the agentic battle ahead.
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570: Bound for Life
Google pleads with you to believe it's doing all that it can to save the water it wastes during an AI prompt. They also have a new experimental AI app that turns your to-do list into a children's story.
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569: A Rare Occasion
Flo and Andy both have had a few weeks with the new Fitbit Air. And—surprise, surprise—DuckDuckGo downloads have exponentially increased since last week's Google I/O keynote.
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568: It Takes a Spark
What's that Spark that's trying to start a fire? Why, that's all of Google's I/O 2026 announcements.
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567: The Android Show I/O Edition
We're talking about Android's evolution into an "intelligent" operating system and why Chrome is storing 4GB of data on your computer.
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566: Beer Commercials for Android
Android Show is next week, what will we learn? Google's DeepMind workers overseas are taking action against the company's military AI contracts.
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565: Peripheral Jesus
Google is still making a ton of money and Motorola launched a new family of foldables. Why does Google hate the taste of its own dogfood?
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564: Make Agentic Work
Agentic AI is coming to Google's enterprise, whether you like it or not, and the next Pixel phone might bring back notification lights. Google is beta testing more ugly ads.
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563: No More Hijacking
Gemini's new safety guardrails, how Google plans to punish browser hijacking, and the company's attempt to make Gemini happen on the Mac.
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562: Let’s Get Vertical
Vertical Tabs are the drama, the _New York Times_ attempts to determine how accurate AI Overviews are, and Google releases an experimental dictation app.
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561: Aesthetic Pasta
The end of the world is coming; the reason might surprise you. And just in time, Google lets you reverse some of your past mistakes.
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560: The Bellweather
Flo and Andy discuss a landmark court case where a judge found YouTube and Meta negligent, though not equally. Plus, final thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Google's new Android sideloading regulations.
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559: Was It Ever a Good Idea?
Flo shares her official review of the Google Pixel 10a. We also discuss the strangely short-lived Samsung TriFold and Google Maps' newly remodeled "immersive mode."
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558: A Brown Trouser Moment
Andy and Flo explore the competitive threat posed by Apple's new MacBook Neo. They're both unsurprised that YouTube has officially surpassed the Mouse in revenue. The hosts also examine the very difficult week for Waymo's self-driving fleet.
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557: Close to the Borders of Sad
Google employees plead with executives to place limits on the military's use of AI. Gemini faces its first major lawsuit. Google and Epic Games finally settled on something. And Android gets an integrated desktop mode.
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556: Open Marriage
Samsung reveals its new family of Galaxy smartphones and invites Perplexity to hang out on the couch with it and Gemini.
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555: 1212
Google reveals the Pixel 10a. Flo uses Gemini's music-making abilities to help recruit bands for the Warped Tour.
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554: 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.
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553: Levers
Google made a ton of money last quarter, perfectly justifying why Gemini is here to stay.
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552: 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.
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551: "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.
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550: 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.
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549: 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.
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548: 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.
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547: 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.
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546: Extending Reality
Google lays out its plans for smart glasses in the new year, while Disney chooses a side in the AI wars.
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545: 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.
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544: Something That’s Attainable
We're here, we're relaxed, and we're talking about Aluminum. What is Google planning for the desktop?
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543: Wartime Mentality
It's a big week of news without Flo, but Andy holds down the fort. Gemini 3 launches alongside an unexpected AirDrop trick between Android and iPhone.
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542: Suddenly BFFs
Google and Epic are still working out the details. The company announces Private AI Compute, which Apple will use to create its own foundation model built on Gemini. And why Google retreated on its planned restrictions for sideloading.
Topics in this show
About this show
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.
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Relay
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