What's Tech?

Recently, VR's made a striking comeback. Last year, Facebook acquired Oculus, the frontrunner in VR hardware, for $2 billion. Since then, we've seen aggressive movement in the industry from Samsung, Sony, and Valve, to name only a few of the companies that see potential in VR headsets. How has VR risen from the dead? On this week's episode, The Verge's VR expert Adi Robertson explains the history of the VR and what circumstances led to the crop of VR projects in development at many of the world's biggest tech companies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might not Snapchat, but chances are your niece or nephew loses hours each week to the increasingly popular social media app. The Verge's Sam Sheffer explains the app once known for nude pics, and how it's become a respectable competitor amongst communication services worth billions of dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hacks, exploits, and system security are regularly in the news, most notably with the hacking of Sony Pictures. Russell Brandom illuminates a culture that's more complex than how it's often portrayed, and explains the nitty-gritty in layman terms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Verge's Editor-in-Chief explains net neutrality. The recent historic vote by the FCC in favor of net neutrality will have a decisive impact on the future of the internet. But when did the pursuit of net neutrality began? And what exactly is it? Portions of this episode are excerpted from the State of the Net conference. http://www.stateofthenet.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Verge's Executive Editor Dieter Bohn explains smartphones. The iPhone and Android have made smartphones ubiquitous. But when did cell phones become smartphones? And what makes them so smart anyway? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Verge's Entertainment Editor Emily Yoshida explains fan fiction. This past week's Fifty Shades of Grey film adaptation made a staggering amount of money, but did you know the series began as Twilight fan fiction? And that fan fiction owes its prominence to technology? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Verge's smartwatch expert Dan Seifert explains smartwatches. People have been clamoring for something like the smartwatch since the days of Dick Tracy, but will the new crop of smartwatches meet our futuristic expectations? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Verge's Business Editor and drone expert Ben Popper explains drones, the flying unmanned aerial devices flying over battlefields, metropolises, and Popper's own backyard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices