TechLinked (Jan 29, 2026) – Summary
Episode Theme:
This episode delivers fast-paced coverage of the latest tech news, from Google's secret moves with Aluminium OS, through a landmark social media lawsuit, to AI assistant risks―all wrapped in the signature irreverent, meme-driven style of Linus Media Group.
Key Stories & Insights
1. Aluminium OS Leak – The Next Google Desktop?
[00:31 – 02:13]
- Google’s new desktop interface for Android, codenamed "Alos" or Aluminum OS, has been spotted on a Chromium bug report by 9to5Google.
- Appears to be a build of Android 16, featuring a desktop interface with subtle differences: a modified top bar, the absence of back/home/multitasking buttons, and a Chrome extensions button typical for desktop versions.
- The leak supports ongoing rumors of Chrome OS and Android merging into a single platform.
- Context: Running on an HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook; laptops and large tablets are targeted.
- Hosts remark on Google’s secrecy tendencies:
"I’d tell you to go see the bug report yourself, but it’s been deactivated, probably to stay consistent with what Google does to most of their products." – Host B [01:46]
- Commentary on ambition: Combining two “limited” operating systems to achieve a “full desktop.”
2. Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Heads to Trial
[02:16 – 03:05]
- First major jury trial: Social platforms must defend against claims they’re liable for addicting kids.
- Case centers on addictive design (Infinite scroll, Autoplay) ― not content.
- Plaintiff: 19-year-old claiming depression, anxiety, and self-harm.
- Snapchat and TikTok settled out of court. TikTok, amusingly, just before jury selection:
"They would have gotten in sooner, but they saw a video of someone making a funnel cake and got lost in the scroll for seven hours. It happens to the best of us." – Host B [02:52]
- Meta and YouTube are taking the fight to court.
- Unsealed Meta docs show troubling attitudes:
"IG is a drug"
"We’re basically pushers." – Internal Meta messages [03:15] - Zuckerberg’s focus on teens highlighted:
"Mark has decided that the top priority for the company in 2017 is teens. Very Epstein of him." – Host B [03:32]
- Unsealed Meta docs show troubling attitudes:
3. Moltbot – Boon for Personal AI, Security Headache
[03:33 – 05:56]
- Moltbot, formerly 'Claudoebot,' surpasses 80,000 GitHub stars, one of 2026’s fastest-growing AI projects.
- Offers local, open-source AI assistant capabilities: calendar management, messaging, even code.
- Parallels drawn to Iron Man’s Jarvis:
"That’s how dad did it. That’s how America does it. And it’s working out pretty good so far." – Host B [04:16]
- Significant vulnerabilities:
- Google Cloud’s Heather Adkins: “Do not run Moltbot” – prompt injection attack risks.
- Rachel Toback (Social Proof Security): AI reading all messages with admin access = “A simple DM could hijack your computer.”
- Security researcher Jameson O’Reilly finds hundreds of exposed instances online, some allowing unauthenticated access to private data; also demonstrated a supply-chain attack via a ‘malicious skill’ uploaded to the Moltbot skills library.
- Moltbot’s own docs admit:
"Running an AI agent with shell access on your machine is spicy." – Host B [05:32]
"Handing root access to a hallucinating robot prone to being compromised by simple text messages is my fourth favorite spice. Right after Peri Peri, Montreal steak, and our sponsor, Squarespace." – Host B [05:44]
Quick Bits
[06:35 – 10:20]
- Samsung’s Galaxy Z Tri Fold priced at $2,900 USD.
- Intel’s new XESS3 frame generation (ARC GPUs & Core Ultra IGPUs):
"You just gotta turn it on in the Intel control panel. I know what you’re thinking. XESS spelled backwards is S S E X. And now you can do it three times with your igpu. It’s time to boogie down, boys." – Host B [07:08]
- Nvidia’s H200 AI chips finally headed to China (ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent), following a year of regulatory tussles.
"Apparently all it took was a visit from the Great One, Jensen Huang himself… Maybe he gave Xi Jinping the skinny on where to get those thick leather jackets…" – Host B [07:53]
- Iran’s permanent internet shutdown:
- Whitelisting only domestic sites, even blocking VPNs and Starlink through new DPI tech.
-
"Our porn, Our awesome sunglasses. Even worse, VPNs won’t help because new deep packet inspection updates are specifically designed to fingerprint VPN and starlink traffic..." "Reports say when he’s not hurrying to the little Ayatollah’s room, he’s compulsively doomschooling Thirst Trap posts on Tumblr." – Host B [08:37]
- Amazon layoffs leak:
- Internal email accidentally sent early. Satirical take on AI-driven job losses.
"The real risk of losing your job comes from someone who’s very good at using AI. Maybe this was AI’s way of proving that it can do stuff on its own." – Host B [09:40]
- Figure’s Helix 2 humanoid robot: Unnervingly dexterous at household chores (and murder jokes).
- Fauna Robotics’ Sprout: Designed to be “cute and emotionally disarming.”
"Why can’t we give that one the knife? That one seems like a much safer option." – Host C [10:12]
Memorable Quotes & Moments
- On Google product strategy:
"To have Android incubate inside of and burst out of Chrome OS’s body like an alien from Alien." – Host B [00:51]
- Social media design:
"Mark has decided that the top priority for the company in 2017 is teens. Very Epstein of him." – Host B [03:32]
- Moltbot security:
"Handing root access to a hallucinating robot prone to being compromised by simple text messages is my fourth favorite spice." – Host B [05:44]
- On XESS3:
"XESS spelled backwards is S S E X. And now you can do it three times with your igpu. It’s time to boogie down, boys." – Host B [07:08]
- On Iran’s internet blackout:
"A virtual fist bump to North Korea." – Host B [08:14]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Google Aluminium OS Leak: [00:31 – 02:13]
- Social Media Addiction Lawsuit: [02:16 – 03:05]
- Moltbot AI+Security Issues: [03:33 – 05:56]
- Quick Bits Start: [06:35]
- Samsung Tri Fold pricing: [06:35]
- Intel XESS3: [06:47]
- Nvidia H200 in China: [07:28]
- Iran internet shutoff: [08:14]
- Amazon layoffs slip: [09:14]
- Robotics news: [09:55]
Tone/Mood:
The episode is fast, snarky, and densely packed with both information and jokes. The hosts balance casual banter with sharp takes and memorable lines characteristic of Linus Media Group’s house style.
Overall:
For those who missed this episode, it’s an excellent snapshot of big shifts in desktop computing, the hazards of open-source AI, tensions between user freedom and corporate/state power, and a taste of upcoming gadgetry―all with a healthy dose of tech community wit.