Vergecast: Amazon HQ2 canceled and Apple’s rumored March 25th event

Amazon sure had an eventful week. On the day we recorded this week’s Vergecast, Amazon backed out of building its next headquarters in NYC. The Verge’s Nilay Patel, Casey Newton, Dieter Bohn, and Paul Miller react to this along with the news that Amazon is buying router company Eero and CEO Jeff Bezos’ run-in with the National Enquirer.

But that’s only one half of the show!

Apple is reportedly planning an event on March 25th where it will possibly debut its Apple News subscription service and / or Apple TV service. What does it mean for the media industry? (There’s a great rant from Casey during this part.)

Also, in an effort to not be totally negative, the crew took some time in the middle of the show to say something nice about a tech company.

There’s a whole lot more in between all of that — like Paul’s weekly segment “Why didn’t you push that button?” — so if you listen to the entire show, you’ll get everything we can offer you for free.

Stories featured in this episode:

• Amazon cancels HQ2 in New York after backlash
• Amazon HQ2 defeat is a win for Queens activists but a ‘facepalm’ for tech leaders
• Amazon is buying mesh router company Eero
• Jeff Bezos says National Enquirer is threatening to publish his nude photos
• Apple’s Netflix competitor will reportedly be unveiled in March... or maybe April
• Apple is reportedly planning a March 25th event for its subscription
• Apple just made it easier to find and manage subscriptions in iOS …
• Apple’s video service may launch without HBO and Netflix support …
• Apple reportedly demanding a staggering 50 percent of revenue with ...
• Apple’s new deal for journalism should send publishers running
• Earth is dying and this couple is crowdfunding a sex button
• North Focals glasses review: a $600 smartwatch for your face
• Phone makers aren’t even trying to keep their secrets secret anymore
• Google launching Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel Watch in 2019, says Nikkei …
• The LG G8 has a vibrating OLED screen for a speaker

If you want more Vergecast, we’ve got a whole lot more in the feed for you. This week, Nilay interviewed the one and only Bill Gates after releasing his annual letter. Check that out in the Vergecast feed. (You know, like, wherever podcasts are served. Figure it out.)