David Pierce

Editor-at-Large

David PierceOct 30, 2023

It’s Internet Explorer day in US v. Google!

We’re a bit over an hour into Sundar Pichai’s testimony in US v. Google, and we’ve spent a surprising amount of the morning in a time machine back to 2005.

That’s when Microsoft released Internet Explorer 7 (the browser a Pichai-led team would ultimately crush by launching Google Chrome). At the time, Google’s legal chief David Drummond sent Microsoft a letter that was very mad about search defaults. Drummond wanted a choice screen, and said Google was very worried about the anticompetitive nature of Microsoft prioritizing its own search engine.

Pichai is being asked a lot of questions that amount to, “this is now the argument against you, right?” So far, he’s sparring with it pretty well.

David PierceOct 30, 2023

Hello again from DC District Court!

I’m here today to see Google CEO Sundar Pichai testify in the ongoing US v. Google antitrust trial. I just saw Pichai go through security, and there’s a lot of energy in the building to see how Google’s leader defends the company’s moves in search.

Things are set to start at 9:30, first with Google’s lawyers and then cross examination from the Justice Department. The line to get in is long, it’s weirdly warm in here, it’s gonna be a day, friends.

Your guide to the internet’s most (and least) important moments

David PierceOct 29, 2023

Apple’s Journal app is kind of smart — and kind of basic

David PierceOct 28, 2023

David PierceOct 27, 2023

Today on The Vergecast: Apple events go prime time, and Twitter wannabes go 90.

We have some pretty good costume ideas for Apple’s Scary Fast event on Monday. We also have big ideas about the future of Threads, Mastodon, and year two of Elon Musk’s Twitter. And during one of the ad breaks, we watched the entire Blade: Trinity trailer. For some reason. It’s The Vergecast!

Google paid a whopping $26.3 billion in 2021 to be the default search engine everywhere

David PierceOct 27, 2023

Google reportedly pays $18 billion a year to be Apple’s default search engine

David PierceOct 26, 2023

David PierceOct 25, 2023

Today on The Vergecast: we answer all your questions about The Vergecast.

It’s the long-awaited meta episode! We talk about what Nilay is like as a boss, the mics we use, inter-podcast beefs, our big bold plans for the future of everything, and much more. Also at one point Nilay gets so uncomfortable I thought he was going to quit the show forever. It’s the flagship podcast of The Vergecast!

(Also, for the timestamp aficionados: check out this episode on YouTube, where we have each question linked.)