Material

#239: Trillion-Dollar Company

January 24th, 2020 · 97 minutes

Andy learns about Android's TalkBack Accessibility mode at the worst possible time, while Flo appreciates that her co-host knows how to dress like a Trillion-Dollar Company. The two dive into the controversial design changes of Google's search results, Sundar Pichai's call for regulation of artificial intelligence, and why Google "gets away with…

#238: When TV Becomes Your Only Escape

January 16th, 2020 · 74 minutes

Flo and Andy cash in their yellow card immediately with a conversation on Silk Stalkings and Columbo in Kanji. (We're already Gympie-Gympie Bush influencers—when do we become vintage TV influencers?) Then, we'll tackle why Alphabet's Chief Legal Officer, David Drummond, stepped down from the company, as well as the implications of Google having …

#237: Meat Suit

January 10th, 2020 · 93 minutes

It's another week of the Material podcast, and Flo is incredibly tired. Andy tells the tale of how he lost his Pixel 4 review unit and then found it again—it's a relatable parable. Afterward, we talk about how Chrome OS is strutting its stuff at this year's CES. We'll also run through Google's latest updates for the Assistant, and we offer Sundar …

#236: New Year, New Gripes

January 3rd, 2020 · 95 minutes

Flo rang in the new year by boring her friends with a Google Photos slideshow, while Andy worked on curating the perfect media library. We discuss the year's first major Google news story: a politically-tinged blog post from the company's former Head of International Relations on how Google's policies have morphed over a decade. We'll also take a …

#235: Holiday Hangover

December 26th, 2019 · 91 minutes

What better way to spend the day after a significant holiday than listening to Andy and Flo? Andy starts us off with frustration over Google Play Music's much-too-obvious descent into cessation. Then, an update on what's happening with Google overseas. We'll also reel in some realism regarding the salaries of your favorite executives, and take a l…

#234: It's The Most Wonderful Time

December 20th, 2019 · 75 minutes

Parental Advisory: We may ruin Santa for your children again.

It's our last podcast episode before the Christmas holiday. Flo is surprised over how much time she spends running the heater, and Andy is excited to automate all the things. After the first ad, we'll talk about former Google bard, Claire Stapleton's first-person account of why s…

#233: That's What Robots Are For

December 12th, 2019 · 86 minutes

Content warning before you dive into this episode: we may end up spoiling Santa Claus if your little ones are in attendance.

Flo tosses in her digression card early on in the show, while Andy steers us back on track with why it's so hard to commit to one app in this day and age. After the first break, the two discuss the Department of Justice…

#232: Founders Get Lost

December 5th, 2019 · 89 minutes

Andy gets his thoughts out about Google's casting abilities. Then, we talk about Larry and Sergey's hand-off of the company keys to Sundar Pichai and why it's not entirely surprising after all this time. We'll also update you on the status of the Thanksgiving Four before pointing you to a revealing interview with YouTube's Susan Wojcicki. We'll en…

#231: Food for Thought

November 28th, 2019 · 95 minutes

Let Andy and Flo carry you into the holiday week (if you're in the United States) with musings about their favorite holiday traditions. Then, we'll discuss how Google could set a precedent for Silicon Valley by allowing its workers to unionize and why the company has taken an interest in a new coalition to construct a nine-point "Contract For The …

#230: It's Business, Folks

November 22nd, 2019 · 89 minutes

Flo and Andy cash in their "off-topic" card earlier on in this week's episode. After the digression, the two discuss why Google is scaling back its weekly all-hands meetings and squeal over Motorola's forthcoming foldable phone option. We'll also regale you with what's on sale at the Google Store for Black Friday, in case you're hoping for a disco…