GameStop Submits Offer for eBay, FCC Certification Proposal, Toyota’s AI City + more!

Summary

TechLinked Podcast Summary

Episode: GameStop Submits Offer for eBay, FCC Certification Proposal, Toyota’s AI City + more!
Date: May 5, 2026
Host: Linus Media Group

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Overview

This episode dives into some of the most surprising and quirky tech news of the week, featuring GameStop's wild bid to acquire eBay, a new FCC proposal that could shake up the consumer electronics industry, Toyota’s AI-powered “city of the future,” and a mix of rapid-fire tech tidbits. True to TechLinked’s playful tone, the hosts blend sharp analysis with humor and wry cultural references.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

GameStop’s Shocking $56 Billion Bid for eBay

• Announcement: GameStop unexpectedly submitted a $56 billion offer to acquire eBay. eBay was “caught off guard” by the unsolicited and uncommunicated bid.
• Quote (A, 00:27):

  "eBay has a market cap over four times the size of GameStop itself, making this a wild swing for the retailer. Again, much like my middle school attempts at romance..."

• Deal Structure: Proposed payment is split evenly between cash and GameStop stock. The host jokes about whether the latter is basically “$28 billion worth of scratched up trade in Crash Bandicoot CDs, a middle schooler’s fortune.”
• Strategic Play: CEO Ryan Cohen frames the move as an e-commerce push, aiming to use GameStop stores as fulfillment centers.
• Personal Incentive: Cohen is slated to receive $35 billion in stock if he can boost GameStop’s market cap to $100 billion:

  “God, that’s a lot of Funko Pops.” (A, 01:59)

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FCC’s Proposal to Ban Chinese Testing Labs

• Policy Shift: The FCC advanced a proposal to ban all Chinese labs from certifying electronics for the US market, citing national security.
• Impact: Since around 75% of US-bound electronics are certified in China, manufacturers will have to reroute certifications to labs in the US, Europe, or Taiwan.
• Transition Rules: Existing certified devices can be sold for two more years.

  “Older devices that have to be retested will probably just be pulled instead...” (A, 02:39)

• Skepticism: The host jestingly predicts “one random company will probably get a last minute exemption which is totally above board and unrelated to any kind of favors. Please don’t sue us, Netgear.” (A, 02:53)

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Toyota’s AI-Run “Woven City”

• Concept: At the base of Mount Fuji, Toyota’s Woven City serves as a test bed for robotics and smart infrastructure.
• Quote (A, 03:11):

  “This is real? That’s sick. Wow, sounds like from a spy novel or something.”

• AI Overlord: Woven City is now run by an AI Vision Engine that predicts resident actions using data from cameras, traffic signals, and more.

  “Which is fine because the residents are all Toyota employees and their families, who presumably sign something." (A, 03:43)

• Surveillance: The city has about 100 residents (all tied to Toyota), with an exceptionally high cameras-to-civilian ratio.
• Digital CEO: Chairman Akio Toyoda has been “uploaded to the cloud” as a chatbot, Akiya Toyoda AI.

  “So he can keep dispensing leadership and wisdom long after his meat form retires.” (A, 03:57)

• Cultural Reference:

  “Honestly, getting trapped in a panopticon run by a sentient AI CEO sounds stressful. Least we can blow off some steam with our sponsor, War Thunder.” (A, 04:09)

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Quick Bits Roundup (06:01-09:01)

• Windows 11 Update Woes (06:15):

  "Microsoft’s April Windows 11 update keeps finding new ways to ruin your day… Now breaking third party backup apps like Macrium and Acronis, this time on purpose… So your options are keep your backups or keep your PC from getting owned. Pick one loser."

• Maryland’s Ban on AI Surveillance Pricing in Groceries (06:49):

  “Critics say the bill is riddled with carve outs and exemptions. Boo hoo. Consumer advocate ... Cory Doctorow called the law all loophole anyway.”

• China Court Protects Human Workers Over AI (07:22):

  "A court in Hangzhou, China, ruled that companies can't legally fire workers just because AI is cheaper."

• BlackBerry’s Quiet Comeback (07:46):

  “…the company that couldn’t survive the iPhone is now keeping you alive at crush depth. Sleep tight, sailors.”

• Sonic Firetech’s Sound-Based Fire Suppression (08:11):

  “A Cleveland startup ... just demoed putting out a kitchen grease fire with sound alone ... A backpack version for wildland firefighters is also in testing ... Until they find all the dead woodland creatures. Chipmunks are just not a thing anymore. Ah, the fire's out. Oh, God.”

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On GameStop’s Confidence:

  "Sounds like what happens on Snapchat these days." (A, 00:39)

• Surreal AI Cities:

  "All hail AI Overlord." (C, 03:38)

• Digital Executives:

  “…Chairman Akio Toyoda has been uploaded to the cloud as Akiya Toyoda AI…” (A, 03:56)

• On Maryland's Weak New Law:

  "Corey warned that lobbyists have drafted it to gut consumer protections." (A, 07:03)

• BlackBerry’s Redemption:

  "The company that couldn’t survive the iPhone is now keeping you alive at crush depth." (A, 08:01)

• Fire Out, Chipmunks Gone:

  "Ah, the fire's out. Oh, God." (A, 08:51)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:24: GameStop’s unsolicited $56B eBay bid
• 01:59: Ryan Cohen’s potential $35B windfall
• 02:26: FCC proposal to bar Chinese testing labs
• 03:11: Toyota’s surveilled AI-driven Woven City unveiled
• 03:57: Digital resurrection of Akio Toyoda
• 06:15: Windows 11 update breaks backups
• 06:49: Maryland targets (but fails to curb) grocery AI pricing
• 07:22: China court rules against AI firings
• 07:46: BlackBerry is alive and thriving in automotives
• 08:11: Fire suppression tech with sound waves

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Tone, Style & Closing

Frenetic, irreverent, and loaded with pop culture analogies, the episode maintains the playful TechLinked energy. The hosts’ banter, combined with snappy takes on headline tech news, delivers both useful insights and comic relief—ensuring listeners leave both informed and entertained.

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For full context, listen to the episode for more jokes, banter, and asides—but these highlights ensure you’re up to speed on all major stories!

Transcript

[A]

So good, so good, so good.

[B]

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[A]

That's why you rack It's Star wars day, so may the fourth be with that Baby Yoda movie or whatever that's coming out soon because Co Bibble knows they're gonna need it. GameStop has just put forward a $56 billion offer to buy ebay. The e commerce giant was evidently caught off guard by the bid and responded with the energy of every girl I asked out in middle school, saying it received no communication from GameStop prior to the entirely unsolicited offer. Sounds like what happens on Snapchat these days. To give you a sense of scale, eBay has a market cap over four times the size of GameStop itself, making this a wild swing for the retailer. Again, much like my middle school attempts at romance, it's funny because I really kept to myself. The funds for the proposal are evidently split 5050 between cash and GameStop stock, though it's unclear from the wording if they're referring to or $28 billion worth of scratched up trade in crash bandicoot CDs, a middle schooler's fortune. According to CEO Ryan Cohen, it's part of a larger strategy to pivot into e Commerce, leveraging GameStop's retail locations as a fulfillment network. However, Cohen likely has a more personal motive, as his incentive structure guarantees him $35 billion in stock if he can boost GameStop's market value to 100 billion. God, that's a lot of funko pops. The FCC has unanimously voted to advance a proposal banning all Chinese testing labs from certifying US bound electronics, with FCC chair and former witch king of Angmar Brendan Carr citing national security concerns before he screamed like a banshee. It's part of a wider crackdown that has already seen the agency ban the import of new Chinese made consumer routers and drones. This move is expected to have a significant impact on consumer electronics since roughly 75% of US bound devices are currently tested in Chinese labs, forcing manufacturers to reroute certification through labs in the us, Europe or Taiwan. According to the new rule, existing devices can still be sold for up to two years after their certification date, but the expectation is that older devices that have to be retested will probably just be pulled instead of it's unclear how manufacturers will deal with the drop in available testing facilities, but if the router ban is any indication, at least one random company will probably get a last minute exemption which is totally above board and unrelated to any kind of favors. Please don't sue us. Netgear Toyota's Woven City the fully surveilled corporate utopia they use to test robotic stuff at the base of Mount Fuji. This is real? That's sick. Wow, sounds like from a spy novel or something. Anyway, they just got a new AI overlord called the Woven City AI Vision Engine, which sounds totally believable and not weird.

[C]

All hail AI Overlord.

[A]

You'll seek to enter the Woven City anyway. This model ingests feeds from cameras, vehicles, traffic signals and user inputs across the city to to predict what residents are about to do. Which is fine because the residents are all Toyota employees and their families, who presumably sign something. About 100 people currently live there in a city built for about 2000, so the cameras to civilian ratio is generous to say the least. Toyota also confirmed that Chairman Akio Toyoda has been uploaded to the cloud as Akiya Toyoda AI, a chatbot trained on a decade of his speeches and writings so he can keep dispensing leadership and wisdom long after his meat form retires. Honestly, getting trapped in a panopticon run by a sentient AI CEO sounds stressful. least we can blow off some steam with our sponsor, War Thunder.

[D]

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[C]

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[A]

Now I know it would be probably really good to do the quick bits here, but what if instead we just had Darth Maul show up again? You guys like him, right? Darth Maul Subscribe Microsoft's April Windows 11 update keeps finding new ways to ruin your day. After Triggering Boot Loops, BSODs and Borking BitLocker, it's now breaking third party backup apps like Macrium and Acronis, this time on purpose, though we're happy about this. Microsoft blacklisted the kernel driver that these apps use over a security flaw and is telling users not to uninstall the patch. So your options are keep your backups or keep your PC from getting owned. Pick one loser. Oh, you wanna back up your PC? Get a grip. Maryland just became the first state to ban AI driven surveillance pricing in grocery stores. Yay. Unfortunately, critics say the bill is riddled with carve outs and exemptions. Boo hoo. What a rollercoaster. Consumer advocate and the Internet's cool older brother who's looking out for you. Cory Doctorow called the law all loophole anyway. Corey warned that lobbyists have drafted it to gut consumer protections. The criticism is well timed as several other states are currently drafting similar bills. So here's hoping this will let us take a bite out of grocery store surveillance pricing. A court in Hangzhou, China, ruled that companies can't legally fire workers just because AI is cheaper. After a tech firm tried to demote a quality assurance employee from 25,000 yuan a month to 15,000 and canned him when he refused, the court said adopting AI is a business choice, not an unforeseeable disaster that voids your employment contract. A take so worker friendly it probably won't survive the boat ride west. BlackBerry stock jumped over 10% today after a Wall Street Journal profile reminded everyone that the company didn't die, it just pivoted. Qnx, their software division makes the operating system running lane keep, adaptive cruise and crash detection and in 275 million cars. And it's now expanding into Nvidia, robotics and German submarines, of course. Which means the company that couldn't survive the iPhone is now keeping you alive at crush depth. Sleep tight, sailors. And a Cleveland startup called Sonic firetech is selling a fire suppression system that uses inaudible infrasound waves instead of water or chemicals. And they just demoed putting out a kitchen grease fire with sound alone, which everyone tries at first, but it doesn't do anything. A backpack version for wildland firefighters is also in testing, which I'm sure will go great. Until they find all the dead woodland creatures. Chipmunks are just not a thing anymore. Ah, the fire's out. Oh, God.

[D]

Mama.

[A]

And I'll be setting you on fire in a video game if you don't come back Wednesday for more tech news. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to pretending Star wars doesn't exist until the next Jedi Survivor sequel. Or they make something else as good as Andor, because otherwise, what's the point? Okay, see ya.