Verizon switches to Android Messages as default RCS / Jeff Bezos goes to space / Biden and Big Tech

The Vergecast

The Verge's Dieter Bohn and Alex Cranz discuss Verizon switching to Android Messages as default for RCS, as well as the many gadgets from this week.

Verge policy editor Russell Brandom joins to talk about President Biden's criticism of Facebook's handling of misinformation on their platform and the nomination of Google critic Jonathan Kanter to lead the Department of Justice's antitrust division.

The Verge's Liz Lopatto and Joey Roulette talk with Dieter about Jeff Bezos' space flight this week.

Further reading:

• Biden says platforms like Facebook are ‘killing people’ with COVID-19 misinformation
• Facebook pushes back against Biden remarks on COVID-19 misinformation
• Joe Biden says Facebook isn’t ‘killing people,’ but misinformation causes harm
• The Biden administration should take the First Amendment as seriously as Facebook misinformation
• FTC pledges to fight unlawful right to repair restrictions
• Biden to nominate Google critic Jonathan Kanter to lead DOJ antitrust division
• The space tourism industry is stuck in its billionaire phase
• Blue Origin successfully sends Jeff Bezos and three others to space and back
• An on-the-ground look at Blue Origin’s motley crew
• Jeff Bezos appreciates your efforts to get Jeff Bezos to space
• Verizon is also switching to Android Messages as default for RCS
• Pegasus spyware used to target phones of journalists and activists, investigation finds
• Dish cuts a 10-year, $5 billion deal to make AT&T the primary service provider for its MVNO
• The Dish ‘fix’ for the T-Mobile-Sprint merger seems more shortsighted than ever
• Playdate hands-on: a Game Boy from a different dimension
• Apple AirPods update to arrive later this year with iPhone SE refresh coming 2022: report
• Apple releases iOS 14.7 just as MagSafe Battery Pack appears on shelves
• The first real photos of Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack are here
• Apple MagSafe Battery Pack review: convenience over capacity
• OnePlus Buds Pro announced, coming September 1st for $150
• OnePlus Nord 2 review: focused on the essentials
• OnePlus is merging OxygenOS with Oppo's ColorOS
• Leaked memo confirms OnePlus will become an Oppo sub-brand
• Amazon will let devs compete for your Echo Show’s screen and everything else Alexa just added
• Alexa finally gets a masculine-sounding voice option
• Amazon promises most Echo speakers will get upgraded to Matter

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